Single Daddy
by bauerfreak
Summary: A companion piece to Losing My Grip and Diff'rent Strokes. This is a series of stories about Mally Stokes growing up and her relationship with her father, Nick. Story two in the Mally Universe.
1. Playing Catch

A/N: Hey everyone! This is meant to be a companion piece to "Losing My Grip". This fic will be a series of stories about Mally Stokes growing up and her relationship with her father. I hope this will give a little more insight into their past together. I will probably jump around a lot with her age. I hope you enjoy! Please review!

Nick Stokes had a four year old Mally by the hand as he lead her outside to the backyard, a softball in the other hand. The hot Nevada sun had actually taken a break for the day, the temperature bearable in mid-spring, a light breeze swaying the branches of the trees. Young Mally was ready for action, her dark brown slightly curly hair up in matching pigtails, with jean shorts and a light pink t-shirt on.

"Alright Mally." Nick started as he lead her to an open part of the lawn. When he had her positioned, he kneeled down in front of her so he was at her eye level. "Now you're going to stand right here, okay, and I'm going to go right over there."

Mally was highly exuberant to learn this new game she'd seen her daddy play with some of his friends. All the big kids played it too. She nodded excitedly at her father's directions.

"Okay, daddy!" She grinned ear to ear. Nick walked only about six feet away from his daughter, wanting to be close enough to give her directions and knowing that the little tyke wouldn't be able to throw that far.

He turned back around and his heart melted at the sight of her. She politely had her arms clasped behind her back, still grinning back at her daddy.

"Alright, Mally. I'm gonna toss the ball to you, okay? And you're going to try to catch it in your hands just like you saw daddy do at the ball park."

"I can do it, daddy." She said confidently, "I've seen you do it a gazillion times."

"Okay, here it comes." Nick tossed the ball to her underarm as delicately as he could, afraid he would accidentally pelt her in the face. Mally stuck her hands out in front of her, palms up, closing her eyes and praying she would catch it. Her face was all scrunched up, obviously afraid of the same thing her father was. The ball fell to the ground in front of her feet. At the sound, Mally looked down at the ball, quickly bent down and picked it up.

"Oopsy." She said innocently. She examined the ball in her hands for a moment as Nick gave her more directions.

"That's okay, Mal. First time. We'll try again." He reassured her. "Now I want you to throw it back to daddy. Can you do that?"

Mally nodded and then threw the ball, landing about three feet in front of her. The ball hit the ground quite hard for the size of the child that threw it. Mally giggled at the short distance she threw it. She quickly ran to it before Nick could move and took it back to her father.

"Thank you, Mally bug. Now go back where you were. I'm gonna throw it to you again."

When she returned to her spot, she immediately took the position she had before. Her legs were somewhat squatted and her hands were thrust in front of her tiny body, hoping the ball would land there by some miracle. Her eyes were squeezed shut again.

"Baby, you're gonna have to keep your eyes open so you can see that ball. Otherwise, you'll never catch it."

Mally opened one eye and kept her position the same. Nick couldn't help but chuckle at how ridiculous, but totally adorable, she looked. He'd always dreamt of having a son to play catch with, but this reality blew that dream right out of the water. She was so eager and curious and amazingly creative at the mere age of four and he couldn't wait to see what else she had stored up for him. She'd taught him so much about life in her four short years. Mally was the love of his life and it showed in the way he looked at her.

Nick patiently walked over to his daughter and knelt down beside her this time.

"Here, darlin'. Hold your hands like this." Nick demonstrated, putting his left hand palm up at chest left, and then his right hand just above it, tilted up. The little girl imitated her father a little awkwardly. He took her hands in his and adjusted them a little bit. "Perfect. Now don't be afraid of the ball. Daddy's gonna throw it nice and soft so it can't hurt you."

"Okay." She said, insecurity laced in her voice.

"Ready?" He turned back around. Her big brown eyes stared back at him this time. "Here it comes." Nick again gently tossed the ball to Mally. She was doing great, but at the last moment she moved her body to the side to avoid the ball. It rolled past her this time and she ran after it.

"That's alright, sweetheart." She tossed it back to him with a little more fervor and made it closer this time. "Nice throw!" He said, picking it up from just in front of him.

Nick tossed the ball to her several more times, encouraging her to not be afraid of it, but she continued to move away at the last second. She was doing a great job of getting the ball in a reasonable distance of her father.

"Ah! You almost tore my arm off with that last one, Mally!" Nick pretended his arm was hurt after his last catch, making the little girl giggle. She loved her silly daddy and totally adored him, as he adored her. As he was looking at her, he got an idea.

"Hey, Mally." He started. "You know when somebody blows you a kiss, you have to catch it in your hand to get it, right?"

She nodded in understanding.

"Well, try to pretend this ball is a kiss. I'm going to blow you a kiss and you have to catch it for it to count. Can you do that?"

"I'll try, daddy."

"Alright. Put your hands out like I showed you. Here it comes." Nick kissed the ball to help make his point and then sailed it gently through the air. They both watched the ball carefully in the air and when it came to the point when Mally would flinch away, she held her ground. The ball fell gently into the waiting hands of the four year old. When she felt the contact with her hands, her eyes lit up, as if they didn't already.

"I caught it!" She yelled gleefully, then started jumping up and down, holding the ball high in the air. "Daddy, I caught it! Did you see?"

Nick was overcome with pride. His little girl had caught her first ball. And he'd taught her how to do it.

"I saw! I saw, baby! That was great!" He ran over to her and squatted down next to her, hugging her tightly. "I'm so proud of you. You did it!"

"He he he!" She giggled. Then she touched the ball to her lips and kissed it gently. "I got your kiss, daddy! Ewwww! It was a sloppy one!"

"A sloppy one, huh?" He laughed, tickling her sides. "How about a real one?" Mally turned her face to him and gave him a quick peck on the lips. They both reached up and wiped their mouths with their arms, something they always did after a kiss. Nick then picked her up in his arms and kissed her forehead as he stood.

"How about we go inside and have some ice cream to celebrate?" He suggested, knowing she'd love the idea.

"Yay!" She said, wrapping her arms around Nick's neck tightly as he walked her inside. Nick couldn't remember a happier ending to his day.

The next day, Nick was busy making dinner as Mally played outside with one of her friends, Eric. The two seemed to be playing a game of house with her Fisher-Price home in the back yard. A few minutes later, he was finished and made his way outside to tell Mally it was time for Eric to go home.

"Mally, sweetie? Where'd you go?" He called when he didn't immediately see her. Nick started to walk around the back of the house, searching for his daughter. What he saw made him want to burst out laughing, but he had to contain his amusement to avoid being discovered. There was his little girl, totally innocent he thought until now, sitting on Eric's chest slightly hunched over underneath a tree.

"Now close your eyes and I'm going to give you a kiss." She told the young boy. Mally then gently touched the softball they'd been playing with the day before to Eric's lips. Nick knew right then he was in big trouble. He would definitely have to have a talk with his daughter about just what she should be sharing with her friends.


	2. Nap Time

Thanks so much to my four reviewers! Alwayswrite05, you made my day! I'm glad you enjoyed the descriptions and hope everyone continues to read. Please enjoy and review!

Nick Stokes carried a tired and very cranky three and a half year old Mally into their Las Vegas home after picking her up from preschool. She was whimpering and crying slightly because she knew her dad was going to make her take a nap, which she just didn't want to do. Nick shut the door with his foot as he readjusted the young girl on his hip.

"Daddy, I'm not tired…" She started protesting, her face reddened and tear-stained.

"Mally, your teacher said you got a time-out near the end of preschool today, so it sounds like you're getting cranky. You need a nap." Nick explained as he set her down on the kitchen counter. She angrily crossed her pudgy three-year old arms across her chest and stared back at him. Nick put his hands on either side of her and then kissed her forehead.

"You are one crabby little girl today." He affirmed to her.

"I'm not a crab!" She misunderstood.

"No, darlin', I know you're not a crab." He chuckled. "It's just an expression that means you're in a bad mood and you're tired."

"What's espreshin?" Mally curiously asked. Nick thought he'd never hear the end of questions and why's from his daughter. She was at that age where she wanted an explanation for everything.

"Don't worry about it, bug." He stood back up and went to the refrigerator. "Let's get you a snack and then get you to bed."

Mally moaned and whimpered again, something she knew tugged at his heartstrings.

"Mally, that's not going to work." His tone was firm and no-nonsense. Nick opened the door and took out some cheese cubes, one of her favorite snacks, and poured her a cup of apple juice in a sippy cup. He set the snack on the kitchen table and then picked Mally back up, setting her down on her booster seat. Mally silently snacked on her cheese cubes and Nick began doing some jobs around the house, but still keeping a close eye on his daughter. As a single father, Nick had to do it all, playing both mommy and daddy. He started a new load of laundry, picked up some stray toys, and cleaned up some of the mess in the kitchen as Mally ate.

"All done, daddy." Mally announced as he finished loading the dishwasher. She took one last sip of her apple juice and set it down noisily on the table, letting out a satisfied "aaah!" sound, because she always knew what her dad would say.

"Boozer." He called her. She didn't really know what he meant, but it sounded funny and he always smiled when he said it. "Alright, sleepyhead, time for your nap." He told her, preparing himself for the rebuttal. She predictably moaned again at the reminded.

"Dadddddyyyy…."

"Mally, cool it. What did I say before?" Nick walked over to her and gently wiped her hands and mouth with a clean washcloth. He threw the cloth over the sink and then picked her up. Instead of taking her straight to her bed, Nick walked her over the couch for what had become a routine for them when Mally took a nap. When Mally was a baby and he couldn't get her to fall asleep, Nick would lay down on the couch and she would snuggle up on his chest, her head tucked up under his chin. The ritual stuck, and it had become a routine for the father and daughter pair. Nick would wait for her to fall asleep, and then he would gently carry her to her bed. So far, she had never woken up on the transport to her bed, so he didn't see any harm in it.

Knowing that her daddy would hold her close while she fell asleep made nap time a little easier to swallow. Mally always found comfort in hearing her dad's heartbeat and calm, shallow breathing while his strong arms embraced her in a hug. She felt so safe and protected and she would usually fall asleep within minutes, unless she started talking. It was a routine that would continue until she was a little over four years old.

Nick layed down on the couch, not before taking off her shoes (she sometimes was kicker!) and Mally quickly found her sweet spot in Nick's arms. He kissed her head as she settled down and rubbed her back gently. "Go to sleep now, Mally bug."

Nick started to think about how this routine had come about. When she was born, he and his girlfriend Caroline had already been broken up for about eight months. They'd had one hot month together during which she had become pregnant with Mally. Nick soon found out, however, how shallow and uncaring Caroline really was. It made him sick to see how easily he had been fooled – it was all an act she put on, when she really didn't give a damn about him. Caroline told him she was pregnant a couple of months later, and Nick vowed to be a part of every possible moment of his child's life. His family had raised him not to run away from his problems. Even though it was an unplanned pregnancy, he immediately felt a connection to his unborn child and had the instinct to protect and care for her. Unfortunately, Caroline's family had not taught her the same. Caroline didn't seem connected to her baby at all. It was almost like she was a nuisance to her life, and she would rather be doing other things. The way she acted towards their daughter made Nick sick. He found out that when she would cry, Caroline would just blast the radio as loud as she could to drown at the sounds of the infant. When Nick was around (which he came around as often as he could), he would hold her in his arms as much as possible, knowing her mother wasn't. Quickly, it became a routine that she would fall asleep in his arms with him reclined on the sofa. It was so calming and reassuring for her.

Having become lost in his thoughts, Nick looked down at his daughter. She was tapping her hand on his chest to the rhythm of his heartbeat and he had been so lost he hadn't noticed.

"Whatcha doing, baby?" He asked gently.

"Is that your heart, daddy?" She asked him.

"Yes, Mally. That's daddy's heartbeat."

Mally seemed to read her father's mind.

"Daddy, where'd my momma go?"

Nick took in a deep breath and his chest rose, sending the three year old up with it. She giggled a little bit. Nick knew this would come up at some point. He had no idea why now was the time, but he'd decided he wouldn't lie to her, no matter how old Mally was.

"Well, sweetheart, your momma just wasn't ready to be a momma yet when she had you. She had to go away."

"Was she mad at me?" Her voice quivered a bit.

"No, baby, not at all. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Then why?"

Nick swallowed hard. "I don't know, Mally. She just had to go. She couldn't stay with us." Nick thought in his mind that they were better off without her, but sometimes his mind wandered to how his life would be with her still here. He often wondered if not having a mother, no matter what type of parent she was, was having a negative effect on his young daughter.

"Will she come back?" She asked innocently. Nick hadn't heard from her since she left when Mally was two, so he doubted it.

"I don't know, sweetheart. Probably not. But I'll always be here." He reassured her. Nick felt her snuggle up a little closer to her dad. He gave her a kiss on the head and tightened his arms around her, wanting to always be able to protect her. "Don't you worry. You just go to sleep."

Nick continued breathing in and out shallowly and he slowly began to feel Mally going to sleep, her body become limp and her breaths deepening. After about five minutes, he decided it was safe to put her to bed. He stood up as carefully as he could so he wouldn't wake her and carried her upstairs to her light blue-colored bedroom, decorated like a princess's, like she was to him. Nick gently set her down in her toddler bed and pulled the covers up, giving her one last kiss on her forehead. The young father paused and looked over his little daughter, seemingly worry-free in dreamland for the moment, at least. She totally depended on him, he realized, and that scared him and energized him to no end. He was just trying his best to raise his little girl. Nick walked to her door and shut the lights off, not before stealing one more glance back at his daughter's sleeping form.

Letting out a deep breath, Nick ran a hand through his short hair and started to walk down the stairs. How could he handle raising a daughter on his own? How did anyone do this? Sometimes he didn't know where he found the strength. He then decided to pick up the phone and call the one person who could help him out.

"Hey, Cath? Hey, it's Nick. Are you busy? Do you have time to talk?"

The voice on the other end was reassuring and he knew he was safe.

"How did you….how did you do it?" He started.


	3. Losing a Tooth

A/N: Thanks for the great reviews – I hope you are enjoying Mally as much as I am enjoying writing her. This idea actually came from a story my mom told me about what she did as a little girl when she lost her first tooth. I hope you enjoy – please send me a note!

"Mally Elyse Stokes, I cannot believe you did this!" An angry but slightly amused Nick Stokes told his six year old daughter as he tried his best to peer up her nose. Mally was currently sitting on the counter in the bathroom as her father knelt in front of her with a flashlight, trying to locate the tooth she had shoved up her nose.

"I tried to take it back out, but I couldn't find it." She explained in annoyance as she did her best to keep her head tilted back. Nick had placed his hand gently where her neck and head met in attempt to angle her better. He couldn't see how she could have shoved the tooth so far up her nose, but Nick could just barely see lodged up near the bridge of her nose.

"We're going to have to go to the emergency room, Mal." Nick finally gave in, letting go of her neck and standing up. "I don't want to push it up any farther. That's how you got yourself into this mess."

"The emergency room?" She screeched.

"Mally, don't yell. And don't try to get it out." He gently grabbed her hand when she was about to touch her nose again. "You'll make it worse."

The kindergartner started sobbing as Nick took her by the hand, grabbing the keys and then helping her into the SUV. There would never be a dull moment living with a little girl, he decided. She was constantly amazing and puzzling him with the things she did. Nick thought his five sisters had prepared him well for ever having a daughter, but Mally was just one surprise after another. This was just her latest fiasco. He'd found her standing in front of the bathroom mirror about twenty minutes before what looked to be stretching out her nostrils. Mally was trying hard to look up her nose to find the tooth she'd stuffed in there and was starting to panic a little bit when her father found her. After a lot of coaxing, he'd finally convinced her to tell him what was going on. She had a tooth up her friggin' nose.

As they drove to the emergency room, Nick had to cover his mouth because though he was angry with her for doing this, you just couldn't write a funnier story. The kid had stuck a tooth up her nose and couldn't get it out. What would the doctors say? What would Catherine say when she found out? Though he tried hard not to laugh, a muffled one came out, and he tried to hide it with a cough.

"Daddy, it's not funny!" Mally told him, horrified that he was finding humor in this.

Nick apologized and tried his best not to laugh the rest of the way there, but it was very hard.

Soon after arriving at the ER, the doctor saw Mally. Now sitting up on an examination table, he was perched in a similar position to what Nick had been a while ago. This was a new one on him.

"Mally, why did you decide to stick your tooth up your nose?" The doctor asked bluntly.

"To see if it would fit." She said a little mischievously, in spite of herself. Nick had to turn around to stifle his laughter again.

"Is this the first tooth you lost?" He asked, putting his little flashlight to the side.

"Yes, sir." She told him back.

"Well, Miss Mally, I'm not sure what the tooth fairy will think. Do you, Mr. Stokes?" He looked up at the father for help with a grin on his face.

"I don't know, Mal. She probably won't want a snotty one."

Mally whimpered a little in disappointment, looking down at her feet.

"Sweetheart, I'm joking." He told her when he saw she was getting upset. Nick gave her a kiss on the head for good measure. "The tooth fairy would be a criminal if she didn't take a tooth from such a beautiful girl. One look at that smile, and she'll be at your pillow every night to snatch your next pearly white."

Mally smiled at her father's comment, but then touched the bridge of her nose when the move caused the tooth to shift a little.

"Daddy, you made it move." She complained, giving him her best evil eye.

"Alright, Mally. Let's lay you down so I can get your tooth out for the tooth fairy." He played along. Nick grabbed her under the armpits and helped her scoot back on the examination table, laying her down. He took the seat right next to the bed. His usually brave little girl looked frightened and very much out of her comfort zone right now. Nick patted her stomach a little and kissed her on the forehead once again.

"'Salright, baby. It'll be over soon." He reassured her as the doctor positioned himself on the other side of the bed.

Nick was glad the doctor was so good with children as he listened to him explain what he was going to do directly to Mally so she wouldn't be so scared.

"Now, your daddy's going to hold your hand, but I need you to lie very still. Can you do that for me?"

Mally nodded tearfully and looked up at her daddy for strength.

"Take a deep breath, darlin'." He whispered to her, giving her hand a squeeze. Mally took in one big breath and slowly let it out, looking up at Nick the whole time.

"Good job, baby. Now close your eyes and tilt your head back a little bit. Daddy is right here."

The doctor nodded appreciatively at Nick as the little girl seemed to relax a bit more.

"You're doing great, Mally." The doctor told her. "Now I'm going to put the tweezers in your nose and slowly pull it out. Remember not to move."

"Okay." She said weekly. Nick stroked her knuckles with his thumb and watched closely as the doctor went in. He felt her grip tighten on his hand for a few moments and she let out an uncomfortable sound as the doctor worked.

"Ssshhhh…." Nick comforted. "You're doing great, baby."

The doctor finished as quickly as he could, expertly retrieving the six year old's bottom tooth from the bridge of her nose. He held it up in front of him with a curious look on his face, examining it.

"All done, Mally." The doctor announced. "Here's the culprit."

Mally opened her eyes and immediately smiled at the sight of her baby tooth, which was still fully intact besides being a little boogery, as she would tell all her friends later.

"There it is!" Nick smiled and looked down at Mally, squeezing her hand.

"I thought I'd never see it again!" Mally exclaimed. His normally happy, bubbly little girl was back now that the trauma was over.

"Let me get you a plastic bag for that, Mally." The doctor told her as he got up to retrieve the item.

Nick leaned over Mally until their noses were touching. "What am I going to do with you, Mally Elyse?" He asked, pretending to be at a quandary with her. Mally saw that he was teasing and smiled, giving him an Eskimo kiss with her nose.

"Take me out for pizza." She asked hopefully.

"Pizza? You think we can afford pizza now with all these doctor bills I'm gonna have to pay?" He turned her a little and gave her a light swat to the behind. In his mind, he wondered if retrieval of teeth from noses would be covered on the insurance.

"Ouch!" She protested, laughing.

"The tooth fairy will be very disappointed to know her precious cargo has been compromised!" Nick continued to tease her.

Just then, the doctor returned with the tooth in a plastic baggie, ready to go home.

"I'll just return this to its rightful owner." He said happily. "And no more sticking things up your nose, okay Mally?"

"I won't, sir. I promise."

"Good. You two have a great rest of your day."

"Thank you doctor." Nick shook his hand and they headed out to the reception area to deal with the necessary paperwork. He gave Mally a piggy back ride out to the car where they headed out to get some pizza in celebration of the tooth removal.

That night, Nick sneaked into Mally's bedroom to play 'tooth fairy', something he'd been teased about endlessly at work ('what other kinds of fairy do you play?' and 'do you have to practice being a fairy?'). He quietly crept over to her bed where she was sleeping soundly. Being extra careful not to wake her, he reached gently under her pillow and soon found the little plastic baggy, retrieving it just as carefully. As he crept out of the room again, he looked at the baggie and noticed an extra item inside – a note. Nick curiously opened it up and unfolded the note, written as neatly as possible in his daughter's undeniable scribble. As he read, he felt tears forming in his eyes.

_Dear tooth fiary,_

_I hope your not mad, but I was realy eksited tooday. This was my first tooth! I was so eksited I stuk it up my nose. Im sory if its boogery and stuf. Daddy was kind of mad, but I think he thot it was funy becos I saw him lafing. Plees, tooth fiary, coud you plees take this tooth to my mommy. I don't rember her, but I think she mite like to have my first tooth and then mabe shell com visit me. Tell her I love her and com find me and Ill giv her a big hug! Thanks, tooth fiary._

_Love Mally Elyse Stokes_

Nick had to wipe his eyes when he was done reading her note. He knew that she was curious about her mother and that all children wanted to be loved by both their parents, but it broke his heart to find out how much she wanted it to happen. It broke his heart at how innocently she had gone about trying to make it happen, through the tooth fairy. She still had so much hope and trust in the world though the world had so far been so unfair to her. God, he hated Caroline at this moment for doing this to Mally. She was pleading with the tooth fairy to help bring her self-absorbed selfish mother to her. Nick sighed and took the note to his room. He sat up for hours figuring out just how 'the tooth fairy' was going to answer this note.

Nick Stokes had had a pretty restless night when he finally crept into his daughter's room the next morning at about eight o'clock. He decided he didn't want her waking up to find the note the tooth fairy had written alone. He knew she'd be disappointed, so he wanted to be there to cheer her up if needed.

Nick quietly walked over to her bed and sat down as quietly as he could on the edge. Mally was sleeping soundly, not a care in the world, her tiny arm clutched around her favorite teddy bear. He almost didn't want to wake her; she looked like an angel and he didn't want to see the disappointment in those big, beautiful brown eyes of hers. He sighed and decided it was as good of a time as ever. Nick leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and then to each of her cheeks. The loving sign of affection made the little girl stir, and her eyes fluttered open to find her daddy looking down at her.

"Good morning, baby." He whispered, offering a gentle smile.

"Hi daddy." She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and started to sit up. Nick scooted up to the head of her bed and then pulled his daughter on top of his lap as she started to wake up. Mally rested her head on her dad's chest as he gently stroked back her hair from her forehead.

"How'd you sleep, sweetheart?"

"Good."

"Hey, I think there's something for you under your pillow." The reminder made Mally immediately wake up and she looked up at her father with such excitement and hope. It made his heart break all over again, knowing that her request would be unanswered, despite being the most perfect little girl in the world (though he was a little biased). Mally threw her pillow to the floor and her eyes fell upon the plastic baggy, this time holding a dollar bill and another note.

"Daddy! I wrote the tooth fairy a note and she wrote me back!"

"Really?" He tried to act surprised. "Let's see what it says." Nick suggested as she practically tore open the plastic bag and started unfolding the note.

"Read it, daddy! Please!" She handed him the note to read, but he already pretty much knew it by heart, the amount of times he'd rewritten it and reread it last night.

"Okay, sweetheart. Here goes." He cleared his throat and swallowed deeply before continuing.

"Oh, daddy." Mally said, looking up at him. "I asked the tooth fairy to take my tooth to mommy. I hope you don't mind." She figured she should tell him what she'd asked the tooth fairy.

"That's so thoughtful of you sweetheart." He kissed her head and brushed back her hair again. "Let's see what she said." Nick swallowed again.

_"Dear Mally,_

_Thank you so much for your tooth. I can tell you take such good care of your teeth. Make sure you keep brushing twice a day, and I will always reward your hard work. I didn't mind that it was a little boogery, but please don't put one up your nose again."_

Nick started tearing up a little bit at the part that was coming up, but he managed to control himself before Mally noticed.

_"It was very sweet and thoughtful of you to want to give your tooth to your mommy. You are one of the most generous and kindest little girls I have ever had the privilege of getting a tooth from. Your daddy is so lucky to have such a wonderful daughter. I will try my best to find your mommy and give her your tooth. I don't know if she'll ever be able to come visit you, but I know she is always thinking about you and loves you very much. Sometimes mommies and daddies have to be away from their children, but that doesn't mean they don't love you. Remember that your daddy loves you very much too and he will always be there, no matter where your mommy is. I'm sorry I couldn't send your mommy to see you like I can send you a dollar, but I do know she and your daddy love you very much. You are a beautiful, wonderful and caring little girl and I look forward to finding more of your teeth soon._

_Love, the tooth fairy."_

Nick was fighting back tears the whole time and he finally broke down at the end. Mally looked up at her father with a confused look on her face.

"Daddy, why are you crying? Did the tooth fairy upset you?"

Nick tried his best to smile as he could see his daughter was confused.

"Daddy just thinks you are such a sweet and caring person and you definitely don't deserve to not have a mommy."

Mally turned in her father's arms and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"It's okay, daddy." She comforted him. "It's not that bad not having a mommy. I send her a kiss every night and sometimes I have a dream and she gives me a kiss back."

Mally never knew what it was really like to have a mother, so she didn't know what she was missing. Nick didn't ever really want Caroline back in Mally's life, but he prayed every night that he could find someone who could be a mother to his little girl. She deserved that. Mally deserved to have two loving parents to care for her. She had so much love to give.

"You're so brave." He told her.

"Besides, I have a very good daddy." She told him, matter-of-factly, making Nick smile and laugh.

"Is that so?" He said, standing up and picking her up with him. Nick held her on his hip as he carried her out of the room.

"Yes." She rested her head on Nick's shoulder, the center and the weight of her world. Mally relied on him for everything and she loved him and adored him with all her heart. Nick loved her double that.

"Well, let's go have breakfast and then we can go spend that dollar the tooth fairy brought you."

"Yay!" She lifted her head and raised her hands in the air. "Can we make chocolate chip pancakes?"

Nick decided that would be a good idea – he needed some sugar to get him going after only a couple hours of sleep. She seemed to have reacted well to the tooth fairy's note, which he was grateful for. Nick knew that the subject of Mally's mother would come up time and time again throughout his daughter's life and he'd just have to handle it as it came. He found his strength in his little daughter like he did every day, and he knew they'd be okay.


	4. Chicken Pox

A/N: Wow, guys! Thanks for all the great reviews from the last chapter. I think that has been my favorite so far. I'm really glad you keep reading and more keep joining in! Anyways, I know there are vaccines and stuff out for chicken pox now, but that would totally ruin my idea for this story. So, just pretend there isn't a vaccine. : ) Please let me know what you think!

"Hello?" A tired Nick Stokes answered the phone after dragging himself off the living room couch after three rings.

"Hey, Nick. It's Catherine. Did I wake you up?"

"Don't worry. Just catching a few nods while Mally's over at a friend's house. She should be home soon."

"Well you should bring her over. Natalie has the chicken pox."

"And why should I do that?" Nick was confused. If the kid was sick, they shouldn't be playing together.

"Well, Mally hasn't had it yet, has she?"

"No, and I'd be perfectly happy with a healthy little girl, Cath."

"Nick, everyone gets it eventually. It's better if they get it when they're young, otherwise it gets really bad. She's already seven and now's as good a time as ever. They've got spring break next week, so they wouldn't miss much school."

Nick stood up and started pacing. "So you're suggesting that I purposely infect my daughter with a virus? Are you out of your ever-lovin' mind?"

Catherine laughed a little, and thought it was kind of cute that Nick didn't understand. "On the contrary, Stokes. In fact, Sara is bringing her niece over to get it. Would you rather she get it when she's a teenager or an adult?"

"I…I'm still not seeing why I should give it to her on purpose."

"Don't think of it as giving it to her on purpose, think of it as controlling when she gets it." She paused, sensing his uneasiness. "Nick, you don't have to bring her over if you don't want. I'm just giving a suggestion. It just might be a hell of a lot worse if she gets it later."

"Alright, thanks Cath." He told her, and then hit the off button on the cordless phone. Nick stared down at it for a moment thinking. He decided to do a little research on the Internet. Apparently, Catherine was right. Chicken pox was much worse if you got it later on in life. He also read that Mally would be needing a lot of care – baths every four hours, cream to stop the itching. Nick realized he would have to take some time off of work to deal with her. Checking his calendar, he realized he did have some vacation time built up. This wasn't exactly how he'd want to spend it, but he was a single father and he'd used them before when she was sick. Sighing, he picked up the phone.

"Hey, Laura? It's Nick. Listen, I'm gonna come pick Mally up a little early. I have to take her somewhere. Thanks." Nick grabbed his jacket and headed out the door.

"But daddy, I wasn't done playin' with Rachel!" Mally compained, slouched down in her seat with her arms crossed in the back seat, diagonally from Nick.

"Mally, sit up please. That's dangerous." He watched her in the rearview mirror. "We're gonna go see Natalie."

The girl's face immediately lit up. Natalie was the same age as her and the two were best friends. Their parents took turns babysitting the pair a lot, trying to give each other a break from the rambunctious seven year olds.

"Yeah! I love Natalie!" She clapped her hands and looked out the window smiling.

"But, sweetheart, I have to tell you something."

"What is it, daddy?" She asked innocently.

"Nat's a little sick, baby." He tried to explain. "Have you heard of the chicken pox?"

"Yes."

"Well, that's what she has."

"It's really gross looking. I've saw kids with it."

"Yeah. Well, if you get it when you're an adult it's even worse."

"Ewwwww. I hope I never get it."

This wasn't going well, Nick thought to himself. She'd probably hate him for wanting to do this to her.

"That's the problem, baby. Everyone has to get it. You can't avoid it. But, if you get it when you're a kid, it's not so bad."

Mally was quiet, and he could tell the gears in her little head were starting to turn. She was a smart little girl. At a stoplight, Nick turned in his chair to look at her. Mally was wide-eyed and her mouth gaped a little bit. He reached back and patted her knee.

"So, sweetheart, what Aunt Catherine and I thought was that if you get it now, you won't have to get it when you're an adult when it's really bad."

"You want to give it to me on PURPOSE!" The little girl was appalled. The look in her big brown eyes made him want to give up the idea altogether. But no, he thought. He needed to stand his ground. She needed to get it now.

"I know it seems weird, but you know when you have a spelling test at school?"

Mally nodded with a worried look on her face.

"Well, doesn't it feel better to get it over with so you're not worrying about it all the time?"

"That's why Miss Willis gives it in the morning cause she says it's better to get it over with."

"That's right." Nick made a mental note to thank her teacher later. It was making this a little easier. "Same thing with chicken pox. You know you have to get it, so why not get it over with?"

"Light's green, daddy." She told him.

Nick turned his head back to the road and saw it was time to go. After driving a few seconds, he looked back at his little girl in the rearview mirror.

"So, what do you think, baby?"

Mally paused a little. "Okay. You can give me the pox." She declared.

"Good." He smiled. "And I promise I'll be there the whole time to take care of you."

"You will?" He caught her expression in the mirror and it made his heart melt. Nick didn't get to spend as much time with Mally as he wanted to because of his job and he knew she missed him when he was away. "Will you watch movies all day with me?"

"Of course, darlin'."

"And play Barbie's with me?"

"If I must." Nick hated Barbie's. Mally always made him be Ken and he hated that guy with a passion. Him and his stupid blonde injection-molded hair.

That made Mally giggle. She loved making her dad be Ken.

"Yay!"

The doorbell rang at the Grissom household where Catherine was busy entertaining Sara and her niece, Lexi. She excused herself to go answer the door and was happy to see a Nick Stokes accompanied by a nervous-looking Mally.

"Hey, guys!" She greeted them happily. "I'm so glad you came!" Catherine stepped aside to let the pair in. Mally had a couple of her favorite Barbie dolls in tow. That seemed to be the game she and Natalie always ended up playing. "Natalie's in her room with Lexi if you want to join them."

Mally happily ran off down the hall to Natalie's room to join her friends. Catherine turned back to Nick, who was smirking and had his hands stuffed in his jeans pockets.

"What?" She smiled. "You still not sure about this?"

"I don't know, Cath. It just seems a little odd, but I guess it's for the best." Nick explained as they headed into the living room where Sara was seated. "She seemed pretty freaked when I explained what was going on, but she accepted it in the end."

"Did you lay down the law, Nicky?"

"Nah, I just tried explaining it to her logically. She seemed to understand. She's a smart girl."

They reached the living room where Sara was seated sipping a glass of lemonade. Sara was new at the lab and Nick didn't know her too well yet. She seemed nice enough, but he could tell she had some sort of obsession with Gil Grissom. Sara knew he was off limits, but everyone could still tell she was in love with him.

"Nick, I believe you've met Sara." She gestured towards the slim, beautiful woman who stood up from the couch. Sara seemed a little uneasy, holding out her hand to Nick. He couldn't help but notice how stunning she looked outside of work – not that he didn't notice her beauty there, too. It was amazing what a simple pair of jeans and white tank top did for her.

"Yes, I have." He shook her outstretched hand. "I hear you're here for the same questionable reason I am. Getting a little one infected?"

"Yeah." She smiled. "I'm playing the evil aunt. Her parents are out of town for a few days, but I told them about Natalie and they were all for it."

Nick raised his eyebrows. "And they stuck you with the caring for the ill?"

"Well, the incubation period is 10 to 20 days, so it shouldn't show up while she's with me." She explained, smiling back at her handsome coworker.

Just then, Mally Stokes timidly walked into the room of adults carrying one of her Barbie dolls in her hand. Nick didn't notice at first, he was so entranced by Sara, so the little girl tugged on his shirt sleeve.

"Daddy?"

The word snapped Nick out of his current hypnotic state towards Sara and he turned to see his daughter looking a little worried.

"What is it, darlin'?" He pulled her over until she was standing between his legs and she leaned back on one.

"Natalie looks scary. I don't know if I should play with her." She admitted to her father. Nick hadn't seen her friend yet, but could imagine that the blisters and scabs all over her body would gross Mally out.

"Well, sweetheart, that's what the pox will do to you. But she's still the same Natalie. Don't be afraid."

Mally reached up and put her hands around Nick's neck and he helped pull her up to his lap. He brushed some hair off her forehead and gave her a kiss there. Sara hadn't seen this tender, loving side of Nick at work. She knew he had a young daughter and he talked about her constantly, his eyes lighting up every time. But to see him interact with her and being so sweet was really endearing. The man loved Mally with all his heart and it was so adorable.

"Are you okay, bug?" He asked gently.

"I don't wanna look like that. I'm scared."

"I know it's scary, but remember what we talked about before?"

Mally nodded her head and then rested it on Nick's chest, playing with her doll's hair.

"Good. There's my brave girl." Nick rocked her back and forth a little bit to calm her down. "Hey, have you met Sara before?"

"Nope." The little girl's eyes focused on the dark-haired woman sitting next to her dad.

"Well, Mally Stokes, meet Sara Sidle."

Mally sat up and offered Sara her hand. "How do you do, Sara?" She greeted Sara just like her dad had taught her.

"I'm great, Mally. Nice to meet you. You have a very pretty Barbie doll."

"Thank you." She said politely.

"Sara and I work together. She catches bad guys too."

"My dad's not going to work for a while so he can take care of me." Mally explained.

"Well, that's very nice of him." Sara suddenly realized just how much she may miss Nick if he was going to be away for a week at a time. Was she crushing on him? She decided to push the thought away.

"Yeah, she'll have me waiting on her hand and foot, won't you?" He squeezed her a little tighter and tickled her sides, causing Mally to squeal and try to get out of Nick's arms. He gently let her down and gave her a swat to the butt as she scurried away.

"You're great with her." Sara told him.

"Ah, we manage. She's a great girl."

"Except for the time you locked yourselves out of the house." Catherine jumped in. She'd been observing her two coworkers and enjoying watching their obvious attraction to one another. Catherine decided she'd just have to play matchmaker. It wasn't a mistake that she'd managed to invite both over at the same time.

Nick went on to explain the amusing incident to Sara as Catherine went about getting some refreshments. The two young coworkers were really seeming to hit it off, and Catherine couldn't be more excited for them.

About a half hour later, Gil walked in the door after a day at the lab. Immediately, a spotted, squealing seven year old rushed out to greet him.

"Daddy!" Natalie yelled as she ran to his arms. Gil squatted down as the ball pounded into him.

"Oh!" He said in mock-surprise. "How's my sickling today?"

"Good." She smiled. "Mally and Lexi came over to play. They want to get the chicken pox too."

"I can see that." Gil kissed her forehead and then stood up to get a drink. "Do you think you've spread your germs to them?"

"Yeah, I gave them lots!" She said with an evil laugh.

"That's my girl." He turned to see Nick and Sara on the couch talking. "Hi Nick. Hi Sara. I see my wife invited you over for a little pox party, it seems."

"Oh, hey Gil!" Nick yelled from the couch. "Cath's a great hostess. Thanks for having us over."

"Don't mention it." Gil said as he was being dragged to Natalie's bedroom by the little girl. Nick was glad he hadn't been recruited for Barbie's as his boss had just been. He was happy just sitting there talking to Sara.

An hour or so later, the girls and the adults said their goodbyes, hoping that Lexi and Mally had caught the chicken pox while they were there. Natalie was getting a little cranky and they'd decided it was time for her bath and a nap.

"I guess I'll be seeing you at work tomorrow, then." Sara said as they hovered around their cars, girls in tow. Mally was holding Nick's hand with both of hers, swinging her body around in boredom as the two adults talked. Lexi was digging a foot in the ground and playing with her lip, holding her aunt's hand.

"Yeah, if this little booger doesn't keep me awake." He shook his hand and glanced down at her. Nick could tell she was getting restless and wanted to get out of here, but he'd taught her well and she waited as patiently as a seven year old could. Both of the adults paused a moment, not knowing what to say. They could both tell they wanted to say goodbye in a different way, but knew it would be inappropriate with the kids there.

"Well, see you there, then." Sara told him, turning to help Lexi into her car.

"I look forward to it." Nick said, as he turned the other way to help Mally. They would talk about it later, how they each felt a flutter of excitement within when they said goodbye that day. Mally and Lexi were smart girls, sensing the obvious attraction between them, and teased them on the way home.

About a week later, Mally Stokes was whimpering a little bit after having taken her third bath of the day. Nick had finally gotten her into her pajamas after carefully blotting her dry with a towel, not rubbing to avoid breaking the blisters that covered her body.

"Daddy, it itches!" She complained. Mally was in such discomfort, it broke Nick's heart. She was burning up from her temperature and he had to keep admonishing her for trying to itch her spots. He wished he could make it all go away for her, but knew the virus had to run its course. The single father was trying his best to keep her comfortable meanwhile.

"I know it, baby." He acknowledged, as he knelt down next to her bed. A mere sheet covered her body as he tried to put her down for a nap. He'd been so patient with her all day since the blisters started appearing, but it was wearing thin near the end. "Just try not to itch, okay? Try to take a nap."

Mally started crying out of frustration. Her body was so tired and she wanted to take a nap, but the itch was driving her crazy.

"Ssssshhhhhh…" He crooned, gently stroking her hair. When he felt the skin on her forehead, it felt like she was on fire. "I'm gonna go get you some water and I'll be right back, okay?"

Mally nodded, but her whimpering and crying continued, following his ears all the way out to the kitchen. He put his head in hands in frustration and exhaustion, not knowing what to do. Finally, after a little bit of pacing, he picked up the phone to call Catherine.

"Hey, Cath? Yeah, it's Nick."

"Hi, Nick. How's Mally doing?"

"Awful, Cath. Just awful. The itching's so bad."

"I'm so sorry, Nick. The first few days are worst. It just has to work its course." She explained, knowing this wouldn't help her friend's situation at all. The chicken pox just sucked, and that was that. Luckily, Natalie was through with the blisters now and the scabs were starting to come off.

"I know." He sighed, listening to Mally's cries in the background.

"Have you tried putting on calamine lotion?"

"Well, I…." He paused, a little unsure of how to ask his next question. "I mean, am I allowed to put it on her? I don't want to cross any lines Catherine. She's getting older."

Catherine smiled a little bit at his concern. As the lone male raising a little girl, he'd had to do it all – potty training, changing her, bathing her. He'd been fine with it up until now, though he needed a little coaching at first.

"Nick, bless your heart. She's still only seven years old. You're her father and she's sick. Yes, you can put lotion on her body."

"But what if she's uncomfortable? I don't want her to feel weird about it."

"Nick, if the itching's as bad as you say, I really don't think she'll care." Catherine reasoned. "Just ask her before you do it, just to make sure she's okay with it. She can do parts herself if she wants."

Nick sighed a little in relief. "Okay. Thanks, Cath. That makes sense."

"No problem. Hey, how do you think it went with Sara the other day?" She smiled to herself.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you both didn't just happen to be over at the same time, you know."

"You were trying to set us up?" His voice squeaked a little bit in surprise.

"Oh, come on. You two have chemistry. Any idiot can see it. Even Natalie said something after you left."

Nick smiled a little sheepishly. Kids were awfully perceptive.

"I don't know. I like her Cath, I won't deny that. But I don't want anything upsetting Mally. She's my number one priority."

"How did I know you'd say that?" Catherine teased him.

"Well, she is."

"A few dates won't scar her, Nick. It's natural for adults to start dating again after their psycho girlfriends take off."

Nick rolled his eyes at the reminder of Mally's mother. The only good thing she'd left him with was the beautiful little girl in the next room. Though he regretted their hot and steamy one-month relationship, he could never regret having Mally in his life.

"I'll think about it, Cath." He said as he got the lotion out of the medicine cabinet.

"Make sure you do."

"Alright, I'm gonna go see to Mally. Tell Gil I say hi."

"I will. Good luck."

"Thanks." Nick hung up the phone and poured Mally the promised glass of water. He suddenly noticed she wasn't crying anymore, thankfully. Nick quietly entered her room again and his eyes fell upon his daughter rubbing her tear-stained eyes. She let out a sob when she saw her father again.

"Hey." He said gently as he walked over to her bed. "I have something that may stop the itching."

Mally's eyes lit up in hope of some relief.

"It's called calamine lotion and we need to put it all over."

Mally sat up and nodded her head, willing to try anything.

"Do you want me to help you put it on?" He asked her.

"Yes, daddy." She said without even hesitating. Mally didn't even give it a second thought and Nick had been so worried. That was Mally for him. Always happy-go-lucky with hardly a care in the world.

"Okay. Let's take your jammies off again and I'll help you."

Nick quickly stripped her of her clothes and helped her put the soothing lotion over her blister-clad body, taking extra care not to disturb the bumps. By the time he was done and had her pj's back on, Mally was pretty dozy. Nick helped her lay down again, her body becoming limp. He was thankful that she'd finally be able to get some rest. Maybe he could actually get some now, too. Tucking her under the one sheet, Nick gently kissed her forehead and she was asleep. He shut off the light and gently shut the door behind him.

Nick sat down to watch TV for a while, but after a few minutes, he finally got the guts up to make another phone call. He picked up the phone and dialed another number.

"Hey, Sara? Hey, it's Nick. What are you up to next week?"


	5. April Fool's

A/N: Hola, everyone! Let me try to explain my timeline for this story, because I was starting to confuse myself. It doesn't really match up with the CSI timeline, I don't think – it almost does. Sara moves to Vegas and gets introduced to Nick when Mally is seven. They tiptoe around each other for several years, mostly just friends. They start dating when Mally is eleven, and Nick asks Sara to move in when Mally's thirteen (tail end). 'Losing My Grip' starts up a few months after Mally turned fourteen. Hope this helps, in case you were wondering. I hope to further explain how the relationship between Mally and Sara went downhill a little more in 'Losing My Grip'. Happy reading! Please review!

Eleven year old Mally Stokes waited in excited anticipation in her bedroom along with her dad's girlfriend, Sara Sidle. It was April Fool's Day and they knew they had a good one. Any minute now, Nick would come storming through the house looking for his daughter. As they'd planned it, Sara would come to Mally's defense, which would most likely throw him off even more. They nervously watched Dr. Phil, occasionally bursting out laughing or snickering at what was about to come. Nick was outside at the moment, mowing the back lawn. They'd told him they would be playing catch in the front yard while he mowed. Ten minutes later, it finally came.

"Mally Elyse Stokes, get your butt in here!" Nick yelled from the kitchen.

Sara and Mally smiled at each other. Sara grabbed the eyedrops and helped Mally apply some to her eyes so it looked like she was really upset. Right now, she really didn't look that convincing, because she was trying desperately not to laugh, failing miserably.

"Sssshhh!" Sara told her, giggling. "You gotta stop, Mally, or you'll ruin it!"

"Okay, okay." Mally tried to calm herself, shaking her hands around a little bit. "Here goes nothing." The young girl opened her bedroom just as her father was getting more agitated.

"Now!" She heard him yell. Mally slowly walked towards the kitchen. She knew she wouldn't really be in trouble when this was all over, but the look on her father's face and the way he was standing with his arms crossed made her cringe still and want to tell him the truth right then. She wasn't afraid of him, but she really didn't like being on his bad side.

"Yes, daddy?" She asked timidly, sniffling for effect.

"Don't 'yes daddy' me. What the hell went on out there?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're crying, Mal, obviously you know."

She just stared back at him, waiting for him to make his next move. Getting more and more frustrated with his daughter, he angrily walked over to her and grabbed her by the upper arm firmly, but not enough to hurt her. He marched her out the front door and released her when they were standing in front of his Denali. There, glaring back at them, was a baseball stuck in the front of the windshield. Nick crossed his arms again and looked at his daughter.

"This ring a bell, sweetie-pie?"

"Oh….that."

"Yeah, oh that." He repeated, which was never a good sign. Her plan was working perfectly. "When were you planning on telling me?"

"I…I was hoping you wouldn't notice?" She tried. Mally didn't have much trouble acting now. One look from her dad and she felt like she was under interrogation. This was why she hardly ever misbehaved. She hated when he was mad or disappointed in her.

Nick gaped in total surprise, not knowing what to say. The baseball was literally smack dab in the middle of the windshield, jammed into the glass, cracks and all. There was no way even a blind person could miss it.

"You know what?" He was gesturing angrily with his hands. "Go to your room right now. The money for a new windshield is coming out of your allowance, young lady, and you are grounded for…"

"Nick!" They were interrupted by a concerned-looking Sara walking out the front door. "What's going on?"

"Weren't you playing ball with her? Did you not see her break the windshield?" He questioned Sara incredulously.

"Woah, let's back the blame train up a little bit there, Nicky." Sara defended, holding her hands up. She put her arm around Mally, who was pretending to cry a little more. Mally had to put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. "Yes, I did notice she broke the windshield. But, Nick, it's only a windshield. Why are you getting your panties all in a twist?"

Nick let out a high-pitched noise, wondering how on earth Sara could just shrug this off. Moreover, why hadn't Sara come to him immediately and told him about it? Did they both have a side of pot this morning with their pancakes?

"Unbelievable." Nick turned around a couple times in place, running his hand through his hair, not knowing what to do or say.

"Dad, it'll only be a couple hundred dollars."

That was the last straw for Nick. Did she not have any money sense?

"That's it." Nick stormed over to where they were standing and took Mally by the upper arm again, about to lead her inside when Sara interrupted again.

"Nick, baby, calm down." She walked over to the Denali. "Look, let me just pull it out and we can just duct tape it or something." Sara reached for the baseball.

"Sara, no!" He yelled, but it was too late. Nick cringed as Sara grasped the baseball and twisted it a little. The baseball came off – along with the rest of the plastic suction prank. She held the half-baseball practical joke in her hand, revealing a perfectly intact windshield. She smiled back at a gaping Nick, who had released Mally from his grip in shock.

"April Fool's!" The two females yelled together. Mally put her hands on her dad's shoulders and shook him, finally letting her pent-up laughter out.

Nick dropped to the ground and put his head in his hands.

"Oh my God!" He yelled in relief. "You little conniving devils! I cannot believe you actually got me!" His famous laugh lines were out, and they both knew it was going to be okay.

Sara rushed over to where Nick was kneeling on the ground and crouched down next to him. Mally now had her arms wrapped around her dad's shoulders from behind.

"You should've seen the look on your face when Mally said it was only a couple hundred dollars. I thought you were gonna throttle her right then." Sara retold the moment, laughing brightly.

"Oh, God, I didn't know what to say." Nick admitted. "I thought I was gonna lose my mind. You little rascals!"

Nick grabbed his daughter's arms and all of a sudden, he had her on the ground in front of him, tickling her mercilessly.

"Daddy, stop! Stop! Stop!" She begged him, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"You better watch your back, Mally! I know where you sleep!"

After a little more friendly bantering, the trio headed inside to get out of the Vegas heat. Mally went into the bathroom to wash off her face from the mixture of real and fake tears.

Left alone, Nick backed Sara into the front door a little forcefully, but still playfully, causing her to squeal in surprise.

"You think you're pretty smug, don't you?" He smiled, pinning her arms to the side, his face centimeters from hers. Sara felt a tingling deep in her belly at his forcefulness. Nick pressed their hips together a little closer, causing Sara to moan. "You're gonna pay for this." He said in a low, husky, seductive voice. When he was sure she'd turned to Jell-O inside, he leaned in and captured her lips passionately with hers. There was nothing tender about this kiss, only a wild sense of passion in the way he worked his tongue against hers, leaving her no room for interpretation of his intentions. When she started to move against him, he tightened his hold on her wrists and latched his mouth to her earlobe, kissing and nibbling at it, causing Sara to whimper. He finally released his hold on her wrists, one dropping to her hip and the other up to cup her neck. There, he found that her pulse was racing and he was excited that he was the cause of her state. She returned his kiss hungrily, slipping her hands up under his shirt at his back, finding his soft, hot flesh beneath. In response, he gripped her butt, grinding himself into her, returning his mouth to hers. They were in the throes of passion when they realized they were in the kitchen and an eleven year old girl was just down the hall in the bathroom. The couple pulled away from each other breathlessly.

"We'll finish this later." Nick winked at her, pulling away slowly.

"You better not try anything funny in bed, Stokes." She told him.

Nick started to make his way towards the hallway and turned as he reached it. "Payback's a bitch, sweetheart."


	6. Prima Ballerina

A/N: Thanks to my reviewers! You guys rock! This chapter contains a couple brief references to spanking, but only in reference. Just thought I'd let you know in case that bothers you. I think of Nick as an old-fashioned type of dad, which is why I included it. I hope this doesn't offend you: ) Please review!

Five year old Mally had just gotten home from ballet practice – one of her favorite things to do in the world, besides playing catch with her daddy. She loved how she looked in her pretty pink tights and black leotard with a sheer wraparound skirt, hair pulled up high in a bun. She imagined it was how a princess would dress. Well, when she wasn't in the most beautiful gowns with her princess tiara on. She had one of those too.

Nick could never get the kid out of her ballet gear for the life of him after she got back from ballet practice. She would live in that leotard if he didn't pry it off her to wash it every once in a while. One rule that stood firm, though, was that she wasn't allowed to wear her ballet slippers outside of practice. Nick had learned the soles wore out pretty quick and Mally would be through them in a week if she wore them as often as she wanted. He'd taken them right off her feet when practice was over, stuffing them in his jacket pocket for safekeeping. She looked a little silly in her ballet uniform and Barbie sneakers, but it was totally endearing.

"Alright, munchkin, go change into your regular clothes and I'll get dinner ready." Nick told his daughter as he took off his jacket and draped it over one of the kitchen chairs. He was preparing himself for her normal rebuttal, begging to stay in them for just a little while longer, so he was surprised when she didn't protest.

"Okay, daddy." She said, not even sounding sad. Mally took off towards her room quickly, leaving her dad pleasantly surprised. Saying she was going to change and actually change was two totally different things with Mally, he'd figured out. When he went to check on her in a few minutes, he wouldn't be surprised to find her in front of her full-length mirror admiring herself. Little cheeseball. Nick shrugged and went to the kitchen cabinet for some inspiration. A box caught his eye – Mac and Cheese it was.

Mally Stokes thought she'd pulled it off. Ha! She was so tired of never being able to wear her ballet slippers outside of dance class, and she'd actually worked up the courage to take them out of her dad's jacket pocket. It was like toying with the devil, taking those slippers when her dad wasn't looking. Though she was a little afraid of him finding out, the temptation was just too great. All her other friends got to wear their dance shoes home, but her daddy always made her put her dumb sneakers back on. He just didn't understand!

Mally poked her head back through her bedroom door and spotted her dad whistling while pouring some Mac and Cheese (not again!) into a saucepan. The coast was clear! She gently closed the door again and threw off her Barbie tennis shoes. Then she reached down the front of her leotard and pulled out the almighty ballet slippers. Woo hoo! Mally excitedly pulled the pretty pink shoes back on and stood up again, skipping over to her full-length mirror in the corner of the room.

"Ladies and gentlemen," She announced in a serious voice, "Please welcome the prima ballerina, Mally Elyse Stokes." Mally gave herself a woot and a light applause, mimicking the crowd. Next, she curtsied and then took first position, positioning her arms perfectly.

Though she didn't know much yet, Mally did her best to imitate the older girls she'd seen at dance school, twisting and twirling about, all the while keeping a close eye on herself in the mirror.

Nick was quietly making dinner in the kitchen when he heard a series of loud noises coming from his daughter's room. What on earth was that monster doing now? He'd caught her doing some pretty odd things over the years from doing gymnastics on the bed, to climbing her dresser to get to a shelved toy, to bathing a dozen of her stuffed animals in the tub (she loved bathtime and thought they would too). Mally was the comedic relief in his life, though sometimes her conundrums were far from humorous. When he heard yet another thump, he decided to go check it out.

He made his way down the hall quietly and opened the door without a sound. His eyes fell upon his little daughter predictably standing in front of her mirror, arms posed above her head, trying hard to get up on her tippy toes. Nick smiled a little. He guessed it was kind of cute that she wanted to stay in her ballet gear all day. What harm did it do, really? She'd wear that outfit no matter what it looked like. His eyes traveled down to her feet and he was confused to see that her ballet slippers had somehow found their way back on. Nick looked back down the hall to his jacket, and realized she must have taken them out of his pocket. That little rascal.

Nick was slightly angry that Mally would actually go behind his back and take something she wasn't allowed to. Normally, direct defiance of him would earn Mally a trip over his knee, but Nick decided to stand there and watch a little while longer. He didn't know the names of the moves she was doing – he normally just stayed behind the window in the parent room, watching Mally try her hardest to do exactly what her dance teacher said. The names of the positions and French names went in one ear and out the other. Nick was from Texas – the names would all come out funny anyways. The way she was so delicately holding out her arms and struggling to keep her balance was endearing. At the age of five, she wasn't that good yet, but that's why little girls were so utterly adorable – they tried so hard at everything and when they messed up, it was still cute.

As he watched his little girl move, Nick couldn't help but be thrown back to the days he spent with her mother. Catherine had dragged him to a ballet when Grissom bailed out, and a young, beautiful ballerina caught his eye. Somehow, he found out who she was and got her number, thus beginning their steamy one-month relationship. Nick thought he'd be safe dating a ballerina – they always seemed so proper and well-mannered – but Carolyn turned out to be one of the bitchiest, coldest ballerinas ever! Not that he really knew any others. It was her dancing, however, that caused Nick to fall for her, and it was nice that Mally had decided to take up the hobby also.

Mally bit her lip in concentration. She was now counting by fours, just like her dance teacher did. Mally didn't quite know why she counted to fours all the time. Didn't her parents teach her at least up to ten? Still, Mally idolized her dance teacher and tried her best to mimic her in every way. She remembered what her teacher told her about form – back curved, but stomach in. Mally would get so frustrated at how she would always be corrected. When she curved her back, her stomach would stick out, and when she sucked in her tummy, her back wouldn't curve. How did those ballerinas do it? Slowly, she decided to do a turn, and as she did, she jumped, seeing her dad standing in the doorway.

"Daddy!" She yelled, immediately sitting down on her knees and leaning back, trying to cover up her shoes she wasn't supposed to be wearing. Plus, it protected her rear end.

Nick sighed. "Mally, I saw what you were wearing. You don't need to hide them." He told her, stepping into the room and walking over to her bed. "Come here." Mally got teary-eyed and looked down at the floor, and Nick immediately saw her display of emotion.

"I'm not going to spank you, Mally, but I want to talk to you." He told her with a serious look on his face. Mally met his eyes and could see he wasn't fibbing. She knew her father was a man of his word and that she could trust him. Still sniffling, she slowly made her way over to her dad and he scooped her up into his lap. Nick dropped a kiss to her head and took off her ballet slippers. He tilted his head so he could see her face.

"Mally, why are you crying?"

"Because you're mad at me." She sniffled.

"I'm not mad at you, I'm just disappointed." Semantics was very important to Nick. "You know the rule about wearing your ballet slippers, Mal. Why'd you disobey me?"

Mally cried some more. "I really want to be a real ballerina, daddy, so I hafta practice!"

"You can practice in your socks."

"It's not the same. I want to look like a ballerina."

"I know sweetheart, but daddy works hard to make money and if you're going through ballet shoes so quick, we won't have any left. Money doesn't grow on trees." Nick couldn't believe he'd just said that. He swore he'd never say that to his own kids after hearing it so much from his dad. Nick could see Mally was still disappointed.

"I'll tell you what. If you save up enough money to buy your own, you can wear your pair when you're at home. How does that sound?"

Mally's eyes immediately brightened and she sat up, looking at her dad.

"Can I really?" She asked. Nick nodded in affirmation.

"But only at home. You still can't wear them outside, because they wouldn't last a week."

"I won't, daddy, I promise!" Mally slipped off Nick's lap and she went straight to her piggy bank at her bedside table. She was pretty good at saving her money, and already had $8.32 in there. "How much are ballet slippers?" She asked excitedly.

"About ten bucks." He told her.

"I almost have $10!" She exclaimed, shaking her piggy bank.

Nick pulled her back and gave her another kiss to the head. "You're almost there. You'll just have to save your allowance the next couple of weeks." Nick gave her a dollar a week and to her, it was like winning the lottery each time. "But Mally," His voice took on a warning tone one again as he turned her to face him. "No more disobeying daddy, you got it?"

"I won't, daddy."

"Good. No TV tonight for your punishment. Does that sound fair?"

"Yes." She told him. Mally gave her dad a hug and he got up and headed for the door.

"Dinner will be ready in ten minutes. It's Mac and Cheese." He told her.

He didn't even get an acknowledgement from his daughter, because she was emptying out her piggy bank onto her bed to count her money. She wanted to make sure she hadn't miscounted. Nick smiled to himself and headed back to the kitchen, with a pair of ballet slippers in his hand.


	7. Embarrassment

A/N: Thanks again for the reviews. Please enjoy and tell me your thoughts. : )

Her dad had promised her that he'd be out in just a few minutes to play catch with her, like they had done many times. Sara had come home and from what the twelve year old could tell, she was a bit emotionally distraught. It had happened before. Mally knew her dad and Sara had tough jobs and that they faced death and awful things each day. She supposed she didn't mind that he took a break for a few minutes, so she lay down in the thick grass of their backyard and threw the ball straight up in the air over and over, catching it soundly in her glove each time. After about twenty minutes, she was getting pretty bored and impatient with waiting. Her father had taught her not to be rude and interrupt adults, but this was just getting ridiculous.

Sara had been getting on Mally's nerves a lot lately – the way she was trying to be her friend and the way she hung all over her dad. It was sickening. She hated to see them kissing or laying in each other's arms – even a gentle touch pissed the preteen off. Couldn't they keep their hands off each other in her presence?

Mally entered the house through the backdoor and headed straight up the stairs. She decided to take a bathroom break, and seeing that the toilet she normally used was "out of order", Mally had been forced to use her dad's bathroom. Without thinking, she strolled through the master bedroom and pushed the slightly cracked door open. What she saw made her stop dead in her tracks and want to vomit.

Her father was standing behind Sara in front of the counter, his shirt unbuttoned, hanging open. Sara's hands were reaching around to grab her dad's butt, while his hands were up the front of her shirt. He was kissing her neck in passion when they noticed the other body in the room. Immediately, they jumped away from each other and Sara pretended to be looking for something in a nearby drawer.

"Mally!" Nick told her, raising his voice slightly, "I thought I told you to wait for me outside!" He seemed angry with her, but it was mostly out of embarrassment. Nick knew she was twelve and she already knew all about sex, but she didn't need to see the beginnings of it. It was embarrassing for them and embarrassing for her.

"You guys are sick!" She yelled, and then stormed out the room, running for her own. Mally slammed the door and threw herself onto her bed. She couldn't believe her dad had ditched her to go feel up Sara! It was disgusting! Mally genuinely treasured the one pastime she knew she'd always have with her father – playing catch. It was there little oasis. No matter how busy either of them seemed, they always found time for that one activity at least once a week. Did he prefer Sara over her now? He'd rather be screwing her than spending time with his own daughter? Mally was so angry, so she threw her baseball at the door, hoping it would leave damage, just like her young heart had been.

Back in the master bathroom, Nick was buttoning his shirt back up, pissed with himself. He couldn't believe he'd been so stupid. Nick knew they needed to be careful with a kid in the house, but his instincts had just taken over. It couldn't have come at a worse time, he realized, as Mally had been especially cold towards Sara lately. Nick had been reprimanding her constantly for her rudeness towards them both. Mally just seemed so angry lately – with him, with Sara, and with the whole world. It was hard to tell if she was angry with him, or just angry. Her eyes had lit up earlier that day when he asked her to play catch with him. It had been a really busy week and they hadn't gotten a chance to yet. But then Sara came home all upset from a case, and he couldn't ignore that. He promised Mally he'd be right back, but in comforting her, one thing led to another and he couldn't stop himself. But he was a father – Mally should have come first.

Sara sensed his anger at himself and decided to say something after she'd straightened herself in the mirror. "Nick, I'm really sorry. I know that was…embarrassing." She rubbed his upper chest in comfort as he ran a hand through his hair.

"No, it's my fault." He mumbled, disappointed in himself. "She was waiting for me and we shouldn't have."

Sara looked down. "Yeah." She felt bad that she'd managed to come between the father and daughter in this case and knew she hadn't been Mally's favorite person lately. Sara had never dated someone who was a father before. It was really complicated, knowing she would always come second, but she truly did love Mally. Nick had done a wonderful job raising her and she didn't know a better, more loving father. That's why she knew this was killing him inside.

"I'm gonna go try to talk to her." Nick told her, and then left the bathroom. Sara was left in the room feeling rather alone and guilty. Why did life have to be so damn complicated?

Mally was sobbing quietly to herself, her arms clutched around her favorite bear, laying on her stomach. She heard a gentle knock at the door and her father's comforting, concerned voice. At least he knew he'd messed up. Mally didn't answer, and after several more knocks, Nick finally gave up and decided to come in. His face showed he was sorry as he shut the door gently behind him. Nick walked over silently and sat on her bed, beginning to stroke her hair.

"Mally, I think I speak for both Sara and I when I say I'm really sorry you had to walk in on that. I know that was really embarrassing. I'm so sorry." He said softly. Mally turned her head in the other direction, letting him know she wasn't letting him off the hook that easily.

"That wasn't fair to you at all. You were waiting for me outside, and Sara and I were doing something we shouldn't have done."

"No you shouldn't have!" Her voice was muffled because her face was still buried in her teddy bear. Nick gently rubbed her back, trying to let her know he understood. Discovering that your parents are sexual beings was really unsettling from what he remembered, and he hated that she had to experience that first-hand.

"I know." He acknowledged her anger. "And you have every right to be angry with us. This was supposed to be your time with me. But I saw Sara was upset and then one thing led to another, and…"

"Alright, dad! I don't need any more reminders!" She finally lifted her head, glaring at her father, her face red and tear-stained.

"Listen, why don't you take a few minutes, and…"

"No! I can see you'd rather be screwing your girlfriend, so why don't you just back and finish off? I can see how important she is to you!" Mally yelled before her mind could process it. Her blood was boiling, and she couldn't believe she'd just said that.

Nick was shocked at the words that were coming out of his daughter's mouth. Where the hell'd she learn how to talk like that? He wanted to yell back at her, but then remembered how hurt and upset she must be. Nick looked away for a moment, willing himself to stay calm. Count to ten. Count to ten.

"Obviously, you need some more time to cool off." He reasoned. "I'll be downstairs making dinner. You can come down when you're calm again and you can talk reasonably."

Nick got up off the bed and Mally buried her face in her teddy bear again, still furious with her father. She knew he felt guilty, but that didn't mean she wasn't still mad at him. How could he do this to her?

Twenty minutes later, after pushing around the ground beef mindlessly in the saucepan, Sara joined Nick downstairs, choosing to keep a bit of a distance from him. She'd heard the young girl yelling and knew it hadn't gone well.

"How's she doing?"

Nick sighed. "Not too well. She's really upset." He continued to stab at the food, working at it angrily.

"Do you think I should talk to her?"

"No." He said immediately, finally looking up at her. Nick immediately felt bad for being so blunt. "I mean. She's been really weird lately and I just don't think it would be a good idea with her right now."

To be truthful, Mally seemed to hate Sara with the fire of a thousand suns at the moment.

"Okay."

"She just needs to cool down. She'll come around." He said, but he wasn't quite convinced. Nick had never seen such a look of hurt in his daughter's eyes, and it distressed him right to his core. Sara saw he was really sweating over this one, and finally decided to step in. She walked around and pulled him into a hug.

"Hey, it's alright, Nick."

"No, it's not. You didn't see the way she looked at me, Sar."

"We got caught up in the moment, Nick. It happens."

"But I was supposed to be with her. She was looking forward to it so much and I let her down."

"Hey." She pulled back and took his face in her hands. "You are the most wonderful, caring, doting father I've ever met, and you'll get through this. Yeah, she's upset, but she'll get over it. We have sex. It's something she knows happens. She's just a little disgusted to know her father actually does it." Sara smiled a little bit and was pleased to see him offer a small one too.

Nick leaned in and kissed Sara gently on the lips. "Thank you." He whispered. Sara hopped on to a bar stool and Nick went back to cooking his famous beef enchiladas, along with a cheese one for Sara. The couple were enjoying a little light conversation when they heard a door open upstairs. Their eyes immediately met and they wondered what mood the presence was in. Mally started down the stairs slowly, knowing they were anticipating her arrival. She walked in looking kind of glum, and her outfit immediately caused Nick to throw his head back in annoyance.

Mally wore a t-shirt with a picture of a cow that said, "I love carbs!", an obvious stab at Sara, who was a vegetarian. Both adults turned to see it, and she seemed to get the rise out of them that she'd wanted.

"Mally, march back up those stairs right now and change your shirt." His face displayed a deep disappointment. Mally smiled slightly, which ticked Nick off even more. "Go now!"

When she was up the stairs, Nick started railing on her behavior. "What has gotten into her lately?" He ranted, shaking his head.

"Don't worry about it. I really don't care. She can have a little fun."

"I've raised her better than to take low blows at someone like that, even if she's angry."

Sara didn't quite know what to say, so she kept quiet. Yeah, it hurt a little bit, but she was a kid. Sara kind of felt she had a right to be angry with her and her father. They had that one coming.

Nick dished out the dinner and Sara set the table. Mally had apparently decided to stay in her room since she hadn't come back down. Nick went to the stairs and yelled up for her.

"Mally! Time for dinner!" He said shortly, joining Sara at the table. A minute later, Mally walked in with a scowl on her face, plopping down in her seat. The trio started eating in silence, all exhausted and still troubled from the day's events in their own ways.

"Mally, do you want to play catch after dinner?" Nick asked his daughter, glancing at her. Mally rolled her eyes.

"I told you before dad. Just leave it alone!" She said, her voice laced with attitude, something Nick never tolerated.

"What is your deal, girl?"

Sara shoveled at her rice, wanting to stay out of this, but knowing she was in the center of this disagreement.

Mally rarely answered back, but this time she did.

"What's my deal? I just found out your sex life is more important than me!" She fumed.

"Mally, that's not how it was, and you know it." Nick tried to keep calm.

"Whatever."

Nick gave her a death glare but Mally just kept poking at her food angrily, her chin resting in her hand. He decided to drop it for now. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence; the tension in the room thick enough to be cut with a knife. All three people were glad when dinner was over.

That night, after Mally had been up in her room most of the time by choice, Nick peeked in the door to check on her. He found his daughter sprawled out on her bed, her personal CD player on, asleep. Nick could always tell she was asleep because she frowned. It was already 10:00, her bedtime, so he quietly walked over to her bed, crouching down beside her. Nick carefully removed her headphones, the sounds of Incubus coming from within. Though he'd tried hard not to disturb her, she stirred and her eyes fluttered open. Mally sat up a little and Nick set her CD player on the floor. He reached up and cupped her cheek, stroking it with his thumb. Suddenly, all her anger seemed to be forgotten, and she looked refreshed.

"Hey." He cooed softly. "I didn't mean to wake you. I was just going to tuck you in." Nick sat up on the bed and Mally moved under her covers.

"I just had a dream." She told him, staring ahead.

"You did? What was it like?"

"It was just you and me. You took me to the park and we were just hanging out. It seemed like fun." She explained, seeming almost in a trance.

"That sounds wonderful, sweetheart."

"Yeah."

"Listen, Mally. I know you were upset tonight, but I hope you know that I will always love you with all my heart." He took her hand and placed it over his chest. "You are right here in the center, with no contention. You understand?" Nick told her seriously. Mally looked at her father and nodded, shedding a single tear.

"Good." He reached over and wiped off her tear. "Anyways. We'll hang out tomorrow, alright? We'll go to the park, just you and me. Like in your dream."

"I'd like that." She said.

"I'd like that too." He stood up and helped her snuggle up under the covers, tucking her in. Finally, he leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, baby."

"Love you too."

Nick shut off the light and as he left the room, and a weight felt lifted off his shoulders. They were okay.


	8. Mamaw & Papaw

A/N: Whew! This is a long one, but it's one of my favorites now. I'm no expert on horses or Texas weather, so please cut me some slack! I hope you enoy!

Sometimes they just had to get away. Like any family, especially ones surrounded by all the glitz and exotica of Vegas, the Stokesia needed time to escape from the daily grind of work and school. It was late September when it occurred this time. Mally had the back-to-school blues and Nick; well, Nick had a job that could send some people insane. Seeing dead body after dead body took a toll on even the toughest person and he desperately needed some breathing room.

So, Mally and Nick loaded up their SUV and headed out to where their hearts really lay – out at Nick's parents' ranch in northern Texas. Nick of course called for permission to come, but he knew well that he and Mally were always welcome. His parents would be tickled to see their nine year old granddaughter who he'd sure they'd say had gotten so big. Mally adored her grandparents and loved the ranch. She got to ride her horse, Captain Navel, all day long, eat real home-cooked meals (that her father couldn't cook), and best of all – papaw and mamaw. To get into the country mood, Mally popped in her Dixie Chicks CD and started singing along. Nick wasn't quite as fond of the group, but at least it was country; better than the normal pop she listened to.

"She needs wide open spaces!" Mally sang happily as they cruised down the state road, windows down. The sweet, tired, autumn air blew her hair about, freeing her of all the troubles she'd been having lately.

Mally had been experiencing a rough start to the school year. For the first time in her life, she had a teacher she didn't like. Miss Janny was grumpy and mean and Mally didn't think she liked her. Mally had fallen in love with every other teacher she'd had up until this year, fourth grade. Nick had taught her to always respect adults, and so she was always a perfect angel in class (for the most part), and would never think about being rude or talking back to Miss Janny, though sometimes she really felt like it. Nick would hear the brunt of it at home each night; listening to her tell him about all Miss Janny had done that day. Nick would never bad-mouth her teacher in front of Mally, but he'd had numerous conferences with her teacher and the school to help out the situation. He knew this type of atmosphere all year would be detrimental to Mally. She needed a positive female role model in her life, and Miss Janny definitely was not one.

Nick looked over at his daughter and saw that she was happy for the first time in a while. Her arm was perched out the window and her bangs were blowing in the breeze, a smile dancing on her face. One of her teeth was missing, making her that much more adorable. If he could, he'd freeze this moment forever before she grew up too fast; before she had to go back to school; before countless other demons she would face in her life. Mally was too little to have so many bad cards dealt to her. She was just a little girl, and Nick was doing his best to make sure she could act and live like one.

"Darlin', you're gonna have a buggy snack if you're not careful." Nick warned her with a playful laugh. Almost her entire head was stuck out the window now like some sort of dog on a high.

"I don't care, daddy! It feels goooooood!" She ended in giggles.

"I'm gonna have to cage you up before long, Mal." He commented, and they kept on cruising happily down the road.

Hours later, Nick's SUV pulled into the long, windy driveway of his parents' Texas ranch, the vehicle bouncing lightly around from the graveled pave way. He didn't realize how much he missed a simple thing like that until now – it was so simple, but there was something just about it. He was back to his roots now. Nick took a deep breath of the musky, dirty Texan air, knowing he was home. Right out of a movie, his parents appeared at the front of the wraparound porch that surrounded the huge, two-story house where he and his siblings grew up. The ranch was so cliché – a tire swing hung lazily from a nearby tree; two dogs running in the yard barking; the sound of horses trotting and neighing far off in a field. And those were the ONLY sounds – no traffic, or sounds of gambling games, or annoying neighbors.

Mally practically jumped out the car and ran to her grandparents, who had their arms open wide. Nick smiled as he turned off the ignition, and then calmly took his time to get out and make his way over to his mom and dad. He was thankful to see they were looking healthy with some gray hairs (which they'd told Nick and siblings they'd caused). Nick worried that they got a little lonely with an empty nest, and knew they truly cherished their time with their grandchildren.

His mother Jillian wrapped her arms around Mally, swaying her back and forth and the look in her eye was enough to make Nick a little emotional.

"Oh, Mally, you've gotten so big!" She said predictably. It was like a catch phrase all grandparents had to use.

"I knew you were gonna say that!" Mally smiled up at her mamaw. "Papaw!" She turned to him and he took her in his arms, hitching her up on his hip.

"Ohhh…" He pretended to strain at her weight, but he was still a strong man. He peppered her with kisses on the face sending the girl into fits of laughter. "It's so good to see you!" He turned to face his son. "Nicholas! Come give your father a hug!"

"Good to see you, sir." Even though Nick was in his thirties, he still referred to his father as 'sir', as a sign of respect.

Nick walked over to his dad and gave him a manly embrace, Mally's arm going around her father's head for a group hug. When he finished, he faced his mother, towering over her small frame. Nick leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek and then brought her into a warm embrace.

"Hi mom. I missed you so much, and Mally did too." He pulled back to look at her a little more. "You look great, ma."

"Oh, Nick, you have no idea how great it is to have you back! Old Peppercorn's been missing you too." She teased.

Nick rolled his eyes a little and smiled.

"Don't roll your eyes at me!" She teased back. Even though he was grown up, she could still tell him off.

"Sorry, ma'am."

"Let's get you inside. I bet you're both tired."

Jillian and Bill Stokes lead Nick and Mally inside into the air conditioning. They immediately brought the travelers refreshments, bringing them the best of homemade foods. Jillian had baked chocolate chip cookies, both Nick and Mally's favorite, and had prepared a big pitcher of sweet tea.

"So how is old Peppercorn doing?" Nick inquired as he took a refreshing sip of tea.

"Oh, he's just fine. Misses being ridden by you though, Nicholas."

Mally giggled as she took a bite of her cookie.

"What's so funny?" Bill asked, pretending to be angry.

"You called daddy Nicholas!" She let out another one of her contagious little girl laughs, causing the three adults to smile.

"Well, that's the name we gave him." Jillian defended.

"Everyone else calls him Nick." Mally informed them, like she was enlightening the world.

"You know it's funny, _Nicholas_," Jillian emphasized her son's name, hearing a snicker from her granddaughter. "Peppercorn is almost paternal towards Captain Navel. It's sweet."

Nick couldn't help but laugh at the reminder of his daughter's horse's name.

"Where on Earth again did you come up with that name, Mally Elyse Stokes?" He turned to his daughter.

Mally shook her head and rolled her eyes at having to explain it yet again. She knew her father was well aware of her naming process, but knew it amused him to hear it again.

"Remember, when he was born when I was four, I wanted to now where his belly button was and then you showed me where it was. You told me it was called a navel and then he kicked you and made you fall over!"

"And she just thought it was the funniest thing in the world." Jillian recalled fondly, tracing the rim of her glass mindlessly. Of course, they all didn't think the bruise on Nicks' chest was all that funny at the time, but now they could laugh. Mally loved it when Bill explained her humor was ahead of the times. She was proud of that.

"It was!" She giggled. They had all finished their snacks, so Jillian moved to take all the glasses and plates.

"No, ma." Nick got up. "I'll take care of it." He politely got up and took the items from his mother's hands.

"Thank you, honey." She turned to Mally, wiping her hands on her jeans. "Well, Miss Mally, what do you say we got pay Captain Navel a little visit?" Jillian suggested, eyes sparkling, knowing Mally would love the idea.

"Yay!" The girl jumped up from her seat and hugged her mamaw.

"Make sure she wears a helmet!" Nick called from the kitchen, ever mindful of his daughter's safety. "And no bareback, young lady!"

Jillian smiled at his over protectiveness. Nick was really a wonderful father. "I do know how to take care of a child, Nicholas! I raised seven including you!"

Bill joined his son in the kitchen and patted him on the back. He'd turned out to be a good man and he couldn't be prouder.

"Bye! Have fun!" He yelled over his shoulder as he started filling the sink with water.

CSI CSI CSI  
Jillian and Mally headed out to the stables together, chattering and laughing as they went. Though she'd never say it out loud, Mally was probably Jillian's favorite grandchild. She held a special place in her heart for the nine year old. Something about her playfulness, honesty and innocent silliness that brought out the best in her. Jillian loved all her grandchildren, but Mally was something special.

"You know, when your dad was your age, he used to ride bareback all the time." The mother admitted, a little guilty pleasure she relished in, ratting on her kids to their children. She figured they needed some ammo. What were grandmother's for?

"He did?" Mally was intrigued.

"Of course he wasn't supposed to. He got a long lecture from your papaw when he got caught."

"My daddy got in trouble?" The nine year old was awestricken. She thought of her dad as some kind of saint who'd never done anything wrong. He was the weight of her world and he could do no wrong in her young innocent eyes. This was just juicy!

"Oh, your daddy got into quite a lot of mischief in his day, but that's for another time."

"Please, mamaw, please! Tell me!" She desperately wanted dirt on her father.

"Well, I will tell you that one time he was riding bareback and the horse bucked him off."

"Peppercorn?"

"No, that was before his time. It broke your dad's arm and he got a pretty bad bump on his head."

"Really?" Mally was amazed. They reached the stables, stepping out of the warm fall Texas heat. The stable almost seemed to have a different smell and a different feel in the autumn. Browned leaves cluttered the floor and scurried across as they opened the stable doors. The air was tired and tranquil as the animals on the ranch prepared for a cool winter.

"That's why he always insists on you wearing your helmet and always using a saddle. He knows what can happen." She told her matter of factly, turning the story into a lesson. Though she liked to tell funny stories about her kids, she also tried to help Nick out as much as possible. He was a single father trying to raise a little girl. She'd had a tough time herself with her own five daughters and she had help. They seemed to have prepared Nick well for fatherhood. He'd seen about everything between his five sisters.

"Oh. Well, I guess it just always takes a long time to put everything on and everything."

"There's nothing more important than your safety. Remember that."

They reached Captain Navel's stall and he poked his head out.

"Captain Navel!" Mally reached up and rubbed the horse's nose, smiling ear to ear. "I missed you!"

Jillian laughed out of joy. "He missed you too."

CSI CSI CSI

Back at the house, Nick had a cloth draped over his shoulder as he carefully washed the dirty dishes in the sink, his father standing next to him, back to the counter.

"So when I talked to you on the phone, you said you were worried about Mally?"

Nick gave a concerned sigh. "Yeah, she's been having trouble at school lately."

"She's been acting up?"

"Nah." He continued washing and placed the clean dished one by one on the rack. "She's got a bad teacher. It's been tough for her."

"Well, kids are resilient."

"I don't know, dad. Mal's really struggling. I'm trying to to get her moved to another class."

Nick waited for the rebuttal. He knew his dad would think of it as giving up when things got rough.

"Is that really necessary? She has to learn to stick things out, Nick, even when it's hard."

"Dad, you haven't seen what she's like when she gets home from school each day and it's only a month in. I mean, this teacher deflates her, is uninspiring, and downright cruel. And with everything else she has going on in her life…" Nick trailed off, hoping his father would understand and drop it.

"Well, if that's how you feel…"

"It is, sir."

Nick and Bill just studied each other for a few moments, trying to figure each other out. Nick had such respect for his father and still somewhat sought his approval. He wanted to be half the dad his father was, but at the same time, had to be twice the parent.

"Dad, I know my daughter. This is what she needs. And she needed to see you and mom."

"And she still needs her daddy." Bill told him, smiling. "Why don't you take her out riding this afternoon? Clear both your heads. You can even take out Peppercorn.

Nick let out a hearty chuckle. "Thanks, dad. That's a great idea."

"I'll finish up here. You go find them in the stables."

Nick gave his father a pat on the back and then squeezed his shoulder.

"Thanks, dad."

CSI CSI CSI

When he found them, Mally was already up on Captain Navel, helmet, saddle and all, being lead around by his mother just outside the stable. The sight of his daughter beaming and happy for once let his soul rest easy for a while and he could feel his shoulders relax a little. He had no idea how down he really was until he started being lifted up again. After watching them interact for a few minutes, Nick finally stepped into view as Jillian was giving Mally a tip.

"That's right. Just lean your body to the right, but don't tug the reins." She spotted her son. "Nicky!" She greeted him, shielding her eyes with a darkened hand from her frequent activity outside. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Don't mind me."

Mally successfully halted the horse and Nick walked up to the beautiful brown creature and gently stroked its face and nose, realizing how he missed the soothing texture and the kindness of its jet black eyes.

"Howdy, there, Captain Navel."

"Mamaw had to reshow me how to brush him, daddy. I forgot." Mally huffed. Yes, it had been too long.

"Is that right?" Nick continued to stroke the horse's snout and look into his eyes. Jillian could sense her son missed this life sometimes. He needed to get back on a horse.

"Nicky, you want to get out Peppercorn? He's itching for a run." She suggested, giving her head a motioning towards the stable.

"Nick flashed a huge smile, his first true one in weeks.

"Yeah, come on daddy!"

"I'd love to. Let me get him set to go. Will you watch Mal for me?"

"Of course."

Nick retreated to find his beloved Peppercorn in his stall, hearing his mother review how to gallop with his daughter. Mally went on a short gallop and returned to Jillian just as Nick came out with Peppercorn all saddled up, talking calmly to him the whole time. Nick mounted the horse and guided him over the Captain Navel so he Mally were face to face.

"You all ready, sweetheart?"

"Yes, daddy."

Nick turned back to his mother.

"We'll be back in a couple hours, alright mom?"

"Sounds good."

He gave her a gentle smile. "Thanks mom." He tightened his grasp on the reins and turned the horse, making clicking sounds.

The pair started off with a light walk towards the brush in the distance, Nick patiently directing Mally what to do.

"You're doing great, Mal." He encouraged her. When he could see she was confident, Nick suggested they picked it up. "You wanna try to trot?"

"Okay."

"Alright, give him a gentle kick. I'll go first."

Nick looked back to see Mally soon catching up, a big grin on her face, eyes shining with delight. Nick knew how she felt. He took a moment to take in the feel of the horse – the sheer strength of the gentle giant's muscles, its smooth, shiny, chocolate hair, and the feel of it moving swiftly beneath him. Peppercorn was moving beautifully as was Captain Navel.

Nick didn't want to push his luck trying to get Mally to gallop at her age. If he needed to, Nick could go for a solo run later, but right now he wanted to spend time with his little girl. They slowed back down to a walk as they reached the small creek at the end of the property.

"Daddy, look at the leaves!" Mally commented as they stopped. They didn't really get to experience the beauty of autumn out in the desert.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" Nick agreed as he gave Peppercorn a pat on the neck. "You wanna take a break for a hile?" He suggested, seeing the porch swing rocker his parents had set there years ago. It would be perfect place to relax and open up some conversation.

"Sure dad." Mally was looking around, taking in all the scenery she could.

"Alright. You stay there and I'll come get you."

Nick dismounted and walked Peppercorn over to the steel bar built for this purpose. He then went to Captain Navel and patted Mally's leg.

"Swing your other leg over, sweetheart."

Mally did as her father asked, putting a hand on his steady shoulder to keep her balance. When she was ready, she slipped off into Nicks' waiting arms. He overemphasized his grunt at her weight, spinning her around once and then kissing her on the forehead.

"I bet Captain Navel was straining over you this time, Mal." He teased her. Nick then took her horse by the resin and led them to where Peppercorn was tied up, shedding their helmets as they went. Then the father daughter pair sat on the swing, Nick slinging his left arm around Mally's shoulder.

"Captain Navel's gotten big, don't you think?"

"Yeah." She smiled, curling her legs up under herself and clasping Nick's forearm with both hands. She sighed as she settled into her dad's side. HE grinned and ruffled her hair with his free hand and dropped a kiss to her head, making her giggle. They just stayed like that for a few minutes, Nick gently stroking her hair, listening to her breath in and out peacefully as the creek water played tranquilly in the background. Nick again wanted to freeze this moment in time.

"Are you okay, Mally?" Nick finally asked in a gentle voice, breaking the silence.

Mally looked up at him with confused, big eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…are you happy…at school, with your friends, with…me?"

"I'm always happy with you, daddy." She said softly, hugging him tighter. Nick new in a few short years he'd probably be begging to hear those words. Nine was a great age. She was still cuddly and sweet but turning out to be a pretty cool kid, he thought. One day she'd make some lucky guy very happy.

"How about school?"

Silence – an indication that she didn't like the subject.

"Is Miss Janny any better?"

"No." He sensed her sadness in her voice and he'd do anything to take it away."

"No? Do you think you'd be happier in another class?"

Mally sat up a little, a hopeful look on her face.

"I could change classes?"

"Well, I'm working on it baby." He told her, seeing her face drop a little. She sat back now on the swing and Nick gave her a little space.

"Is that what you want?" He wanted to make sure.

"Well…what about al the other kids? Will they get to move?"

Mally surprised him again. He couldn't believe that with all the trouble she's been having, she was still worried about the other kids. She was still concerned about other people first. Did he teacher her that? Se made him so proud.

"Well, no they wouldn't, Mal. They'd stay in the other class."

Mally looked at him like he'd just said the most insane, inconceivable thing.

"Why would I get to move and they don't? That's not fair!"

"Sweetheart, if you're having a really hard time…" He struggled with his words, "I don't want you in a place you're unhappy."

Mally reach down and picked up a dead leaf, tracing the veins with her little finger with care. Nick was a tear trickle down her cheek.

"I don't know, daddy." She finally said, on the verge of bawling. Wen Nick gently stroked her back and then pulled her into a hug, the waterworks began.

"Shhh…It's okay." He soothed into her hair. "You don't have to decide today." Mally crawled into his lap and flung her arms around his neck, still needing him at this tender, delicate age of nine. He just held her for the next few minutes as her sobs died down. It was a tough decision for a little girl, that she shouldn't have to make. But this was something she'd need to decide for herself. He'd help her either way.

Nick took her head in both his hands and gave her a wink before kissing her square on the forehead.

"Enough tears. Let's go head back and have a little ride. What do you say?"

Nick was relieved to see a mile peek through her tear-stained face as she nodded. He helped her back on to Captain Navel, making sure she was safe before mounting Peppercorn himself. When they were both ready, they slowly began their walk back towards the house and they could almost smell dinner cooking the distance.


	9. First Recital

A/N: Hey, readers! I was so sad that only one person reviewed the last chapter (Thanks, Mrs. Eads!). It was one of my favorites so far. Did you not like it at all, or was it just the ending? I was thinking of adding a little more to the end – let me know what you think. And please review!

Nick thought he was going to lose his mind. It was Saturday afternoon and absolutely nothing was going right. Mally's first dance recital was mere hours away. Catherine, his usual savior, was out of town at a conference, leaving his main female support system unreachable. For the recital, all the girls were to have their hair curled and fingernails painted a hideous pink color. Mally was currently running around the house in her undershirt and panties as Nick tried to figure out how to turn on the curling iron Catherine had let him borrow.

"My bologna has a first name! It's O-S-C-A-R!" Mally sang at the top of the lungs as she stood on the couch in the living room. "My bologna has a second name! It's M-A-Y-E-R!"

Nick adjusted the heat level on the tongs and then pressed 'on', but the light was just blinking. Did that mean it was ready? After a few moments, Nick touched the metal and snapped his hand back immediately at the scorching heat.

"Shit!"

"I like to eat it everyday, and if you ask me why I'll SAAAAAAAYYYY!"

Mally waited, because her dad normally answered, "Quality meat, no fillers!" just like in the commercial, but he was in no mood. Instead, to himself, Nick whisper-sang, "Because it gives parents a moment of peace while you shove it down your throoooooaaaaat!" Nick loved his daughter, but today was not the day.

"Cuz Oscar Mayer has a way with B-O-L-O-G-N-A!" She finished, jumping up and down.

"Mally Elyse Stokes, I hope you're not jumping on the sofa like I told you not to!" He yelled from the bathroom. Mally immediately stopped, but then tumbled off the side of the couch. She started crying and grabbed her knee.

Nick let out a frustrated sigh and went to see what was the matter. He found his daughter in a pitiful state on the floor of the living room clutching her knee. From what he could tell, they were crocodile tears, but he'd humor her a little.

"What's the matter, bug?" He asked as he sat down next to her.

"I hitted my knee!" The four and a half year old told him, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Ohhhh..you poor thing." Nick teased her. He took her leg in his hand and peppered kisses over the area, causing her to giggle. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three." She answered. He changed them to five.

"Five."

"One."

"She's okay!" Nick announced, picking her up, and then gently body slamming her to the couch. The little girl squealed when he tickled her sides and her tummy.

"Daddy!"

Her laughter caused him to forget his frustration a little bit, but not totally. He still had to get her nails painted, her hair curled, and dressed in her costume. The girl had the attention span of a monkey and the energy of a puppy.

"Come on. The curling iron's ready." He told her. Mally stood up on the couch and reached up to her dad's neck. Nick took her in his arms and then held her like a little baby, blowing a raspberry on her tummy as they went to the bathroom.

When they reached the bathroom, Nick put the toilet seat down and set the young dancer on top.

"Alright, Mal. I've never done this before, so bare with me."

If that wasn't enough to make the four year old nervous, the site of the burning hot tongs he would be using on her delicate curls was. Nick could tell she was afraid as he took the device in his hand so he paused.

"Mal, I'm not going to hurt you. You just need to stay still." He instructed her. Of course, Nick wasn't totally sure if he would hurt her or not. Back in the day, he had helped some of his sisters out when they had dates, but that was years ago. Curling hair was an acquired talent that Nick didn't possess. Catherine had given him a crash course before she left, and he tried his best to remember what she'd shown him.

Mally sat on her hands and swang her legs a little as her father began. It took him long enough. He kept rolling and rerolling the pieces. Sometimes he would take too much hair and he'd have to start over, and other times he'd leave it too long, and her curl would be extra hot and curly, heating the side of her face a little as it fell. Nick was about halfway through when he finally made his first mistake, accidentally touching the tong with his finger.

"Ow! Shit, goddammit!"

Mally's mouth formed a big 'o' and her eyebrows raised at her dad's vocabulary. Normally, he was pretty good about toning down the profanity.

"Goddammit!" Mally repeated.

"Mally, don't say that!" He reprimanded her, and she was smiling back at him looking all innocent.

"But you just said it."

"Daddy shouldn't have said it." He tried to explain. "I just got burned, and it hurt really bad. Don't repeat what I say."

"Don't repeat what I say." She started, grinning.

"Mal, I don't have the patience for this right now."

"Mal, I don't have the payshuns for this right now."

"Stop it." He put his hands on his hips. Nick had thought this was so funny when he was little, but was now learning how annoying it was.

"Stop it." Mally did the same, staring back at her dad.

"I mean it."

"I meeeeeaaaaaan it!" She mocked him, laughing. Nick was getting a little ticked, and he got an idea.

"How much wood would a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?" He said as quickly as he could.

Mally gaped at him in surprise.

"Daddy!" She got up and pushed him a little. "That's not fair!"

"I got you good." He told her. "Now let's finish your hair." Nick took hold of the curling iron again and started, as Mally sang a nursery rhyme rather sweetly. A few minutes and a lot of squinting later, Nick was finished. It wasn't the best looking hair ever, but he felt he'd done a good job.

"Alright, Aunt Catherine told me to put on a little hairspray to hold it, so cover your eyes."

Mally slapped her hand over her eyes and closed her mouth, poofing her cheeks out like a monkey. Nick chuckled a little and then carefully sprayed her hair with the bottle thoroughly.

"All done." He told her. Mally got up off the toilet seat and walked to the mirror, her tiny form barely able to see over the counter and to the mirror. She strained, trying to lift her chin up to see her hair, and so Nick picked her up and stood her on the counter.

"A ha ha ha!" She chuckled at herself, all dolled up.

"You look gorgeous, baby!" He told her, in spite of himself.

"I'm hot stuff!" She said.

"Where did you learn that?" He asked her, looking at his daughter in the mirror.

"I don't knoooooow!"

"Little booger." He put her back down and decided to let her play a little before he started on her nails so she would actually sit still. Mally was a little wiggle worm and she was constantly needing to burn off energy, keeping Nick on his toes. But he loved her with all his heart. "Don't mess up your hair!" He called after her as she bounded off.

Nick worked around the house a little bit as Mally played, and about half an hour later he called her over to the couch where he was sitting with the nail polish.

"Hey, Road Runner!" He called. "Get your hyper behind in here!" Seconds later, the four year old ball of energy dove at him, landing on his lap, but thankfully missing the family jewels.

"Alright, Mal, I'm gonna put the nail polish on now, okay?" He explained, setting her on the couch next to him. Nick grabbed a magazine at put it on his right thigh. "Now the thing to remember is not to touch it until I say so, alright? We have to let it dry. Put your hands on the magazine and I'll put it on."

Mally did as her father asked, her tiny hands perched on his leg. He didn't see much point in putting on the nail polish seeing as her finger nails were so small they were almost non existent. But that's what the dance teacher said, and in this house, whatever she said went.

With a slightly wobbling hand, Nick began to apply to polish to her left pinky. After two strokes, the little girl was already a ball of snickering laughter.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" She cackled, but she tried to keep her nails steady. "Daddy, it tickles!"

"I know it, baby. But try to hold still for me, okay?" He decided to hold her hand still with one of his while the other applied the polish.

"Okay – aaaa – ha ha ha!"

Several minutes later and after a daily quota-filling dosage of laughter, Nick was done.

"Alright, blow on your nails, but don't touch 'em." Nick instructed her.

Mally blew on her nails harder than necessary, like she was blowing out a birthday candle.

"Not so hard, honey. Just light like this." Nick demonstrated by taking hold of one of her hands and blowing lightly. Mally watched him closely and then imitated him with her other hand. "Good. That's right. Now count to fifty, then you can go play. But don't touch your nails until then."

Nick got up to finish some chores, leaving the little girl counting loudly on the couch.

"Oooooooone…..twoooooooooooo….threeeeeeee……"

This was going to take longer than he thought. He was about to tell her to count to twenty instead, but then realized he could have some peace without her darting through the house, so he opted not to.

After eating dinner, Nick helped Mally get dressed in her ballet costume. The preschool class would all be dressed in their regular black leotards with various colored skirts on. Mally's skirt was a funny shade of pink just like her nail polish. Nick thought she looked adorable. When she was dressed, he took Mally into the bathroom and held her on his hip as she looked at herself in the mirror.

"You look beautiful, darlin'." He told her, giving his daughter a kiss on the cheek. Mally threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back. "Awww. Thank you, sweetheart."

"Daddy, can I wear my ballet slippers there?"

"You know the rules about ballet slippers. Nowhere other than at practice and recitals."

"Pleeeeeeaaaase?" She gave him her best puppy dog eyes.

"I'll tell you what. You can wear 'em, but you'll have to be carried until we get there."

"Okay!" Mally was always happy to be in Nick's arms. He set her down to go get her shoes and quickly slipped them on. Nick knelt down on the floor and held out his arms as he waited by the garage door. Mally saw him and charged at him, nearly knocking him over, and he picked her up into his strong awaiting arms.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

At the recital hall, all the parents and kids were waiting in a spare room before show time, trying to get their children ready for their performances. Nick was gently straightening her costume from a recent romping about when a beautiful young mother came over to say hi.

"Are you Mr. Stokes?" The blonde dashing woman asked her. She had a little blonde clone of herself, about seven years old from what he could tell, holding her hand.

"Yes, ma'am. And you are?"

"Christina Harmon." She held out her hand and shook Nick's. "And this is Lauren." She introduced her daughter. Nick shook the little girl's hand also and then looked back at his own daughter, who happened to have her finger up her nose.

"Mal, take that out of there, please." He whispered to her. Mally smiled at her daddy innocently and he motioned for her to join him. He would have had her shake Christina's hand, but not after it had been shoved up her nose.

"And this is my daughter, Mally." He said, bringing her to stand in front of him, his hands on her shoulders. "She's four."

"Hello. Nice to meet you." Mally said politely, flashing a toothy grin. She really didn't care for Lauren. Mally thought she was really mean and didn't like the looks of her mom and the way she was looking at her daddy. As the two adults engaged in a little friendly conversation, Mally turned around and grabbed both of her dad's hands.

"Daddy, I want to do a flip." She said impatiently, stepping on his feet. One of her favorite things to do with Nick was flips, where they would face each other while she held her daddy's hands and then climb up his legs right above the knees and then push off, through the triangle her arms made with his. She knew she wasn't supposed to bother her dad when he was speaking with an adult, but Mally decided she really didn't like Mrs. Harmon. Plus, she hadn't even acknowledged her when she said hi.

"Not now, honey." He told her firmly, but gently.

Mally kept pulling at his arms and bending down, starting to climb up, but Nick would pull her arms to the side to throw off her balance. The little girl kept trying and trying, hoping her dad would get the hint, but she was making him angry. Finally, they said their goodbyes. Nick waited until they were far enough away to have a word with his daughter. He bent down to her eye level and grabbed hold of her sides.

"Mally Elyse Stokes, that was very rude." He reprimanded her in a firm voice, though he tried to keep it down. "You do not interrupt and play around when I'm talking to an adult. Do you understand me?"

Mally didn't answer and looked down at the floor. Nick could tell that Mally hadn't liked Christina, but that was no excuse for her rude behavior. He didn't happen to like her very much either, so Mally really had nothing to worry about. Whenever he talked to females, it always seemed to upset Mally a little bit.

"I said do you understand me?" He repeated, looking her in the eye even though she wouldn't.

"Yes, sir." She replied quietly.

"Good. If I have to talk to someone else, I expect you to be polite. Will you do that for me?"

"Yes, sir."

Nick kissed her on the forehead and all was forgiven. It took her a few minutes, but soon Mally was back to her normal self, happy and bubbly and giggly like a little girl should be. Soon, all the parents needed to leave to take their seats. Some of the older girls would take care of the younger ones, and they had parent volunteers to watch over. Nick took his seat and waited in excited anticipation for his daughter's first recital.

After a few performances, it was finally time for the preschool group. The group of about ten little girls made their way on to the stage, taking their starting positions. Except, they were all looking out at the crowd trying to find their parents and smiling. Mally spotted him and gave an excited wave. Nick smiled and waved back, but then pointed to the stage to queue her in. Mally got the hint and took her place as the music started.

The routine was totally adorable even if they weren't all that good. But they were so cute it didn't matter. Their repertoire was very limited, and the dancing mostly consisted of moving their arms a little, twirling, and then there was a big conga line at the end. Some of the girls looked pretty scared and were watching the others for what to do next, but Mally had a huge smile on her face the entire time, confidently looking out at the audience the entire time. She had her routine down cold (she'd practiced in front of her mirror at home constantly). Nick would say she was the best one out there, but he was a little biased. While he watched her, he couldn't help but have a flashback to her mother, who had also been a ballet dancer. The moment was bittersweet in that she was now gone from their lives, but Mally was truly enjoying this favorite pastime her mother had so loved. When it ended, Nick was the first on his feet clapping and hollering, even if it wasn't appropriate for a ballet. He didn't care – he was so proud of his little ballerina.

After it was over, Nick went backstage to find Mally. She spotted him first and darted at him like she had earlier, crashing into his leg.

"Heyyyy!" He said, picking her up and showering her with kisses. "You were great! Did you like it?"

"I loved it daddy. When's the next one?"

"Not until next year." He sadly told her.

"Next year?" She pouted. "That's forever!"

"It'll come quicker than you think." Nick told her, knowing the time would fly by. She was getting bigger every day. "What do you say we go get ice cream to celebrate, and you can even wear your ballet slippers."

"Really?" Her eyes lit up. Two of her favorite things – ice cream and her ballet slippers. "Can I get two scoops?"

"Are you gonna go to sleep for me?" He asked her as he started walking towards the door, Mally still perched on his hip.

"Yes, daddy!"

"Alright, two scoops it is!" Nick walked out to the car and set his ballerina in the back seat and buckled her in. They drove off on their way to Dairy Queen and coincidentally, _I Hope You Dance_ came on the radio station they were listening to. Nick couldn't think of a more perfect ending to the evening as he listening to his daughter quietly hum the tune as he tried horribly to sing along. He hoped that no matter what life threw Mally's way, she'd be strong enough to handle it. And he was doing his best to make sure she'd be prepared.


	10. First That THING

A/N: I know y'all like cute, sweet, little Mally, but I just had to include this chapter. She's older in this one, but we all must go through this…I just wondered how poor Nicky would react. I promise the next chapter, she'll be little again – she'll be two! Please read and review!

"Mother…mmmphhhhh!" Nick heard from the bathroom as he cleaned up lunch in the kitchen one Saturday afternoon. He didn't know what it was about, but Mally seemed to be upset about something. She had been a little touchy the last few days. Nick would have just shrugged it off, except then he heard the young girl kicking the cabinets and letting out more annoyed noises. Throwing down the kitchen cloth, he slowly walked down the hall to the bathroom door. Knocking lightly, he was a little afraid of what she might say.

"Mal?"

"What!" She answered in an annoyed tone.

"Hey, hey. Don't bite my head off. Are you okay in there?"

A loud groan followed.

"Yes, I'm fine." She scowled, and he could tell everything was not as she said. Mally wished her father would just scurry back to the kitchen. She hated males right now.

Nick didn't want to leave his daughter like this, when he could tell she was upset. Her temper was scaring him a bit, but he wanted to find out what was going on.

"Sweetheart, what's going on?"

"Nothing!"

"Mal, obviously, it's not nothing." He reasoned with her.

Mally sighed heavily. He just didn't get it.

"Jesus, dad! Do I have to spell it out for you? I'm thirteen years old!"

"Huh?"

"I'm bleeding from my vagina, dad!" She finally told him, sick of trying to hint at it for him. Her dad was such a guy.

Nick almost fell over. He knew about this…menstruation thing…but never thought the day would come when his own little baby girl would experience such a thing.

"Uh…..okay….um….yeah….do you need…."

Mally stamped her foot angrily.

"Dad! You're so embarrassing! Go call Catherine and tell her to come over!"

"Okay. Right. Will do."

"Dad, tell her to bring stuff."

"Stuff?"

"Dad!"

"Oh, right!"

Nick gaped as he walked back to the kitchen. Hooooooooly moly. Nick kicked himself for not realizing what it was before she literally had to spell it out for him. She was thirteen years old, in seventh grade, and….becoming a woman, though the state of her bedroom seemed to prove otherwise. He knew it was coming some day, but hoped it was later rather than sooner. Nick dialed the Grissoms' number and Gil answered.

"Grissom." He answered.

"Gil!" Nick was so happy to hear his voice. Someone to help. "I need to talk to Catherine right away! It's about Mally."

"She's not in right now, Nick. Can I help?"

Nick cradled his head in his arms and started beating it up and down in the air in frustration. He really did not want to talk to his boss about this.

"When will she be back?"

"Not until this evening. Nick, I'm sure I can do something."

Nick let out a heavy sigh, mortified that he was actually going to talk to his boss about menstruation.

"Mally……" He started.

Gil waited patiently, his eyebrows raised. He could tell his coworker was uneasy about something.

"Mally did….." Gil prompted him.

"Shestartedherperiod."

"She what?"

Nick wanted to slap Gil over the phone, but instead he swung the phone around like a baseball bat for a moment, then brought it back to his ear.

"She….started….her….per….per…"

"Her period?" Gil finished for him. The guy was being a spaz.

How could he just say it like that?

"Yes!" Nick groaned. Gil laughed a know-it-all laugh.

"Nick, it's a natural part of becoming a woman. All females begin menstruation at around this time, usually before the age of sixteen."

This was not the time for scientific mumbojumbo. Nick just wanted help and he wanted it now. And he didn't want to talk about it. Not ever.

"Alright alright alright! I get it! I know what it is! We don't have any…."

Nick motioned with his hands, then realized Gil couldn't see him.

"Feminine products?" Gil finished.

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm sure Cath and Linds have some pads or tampons around here somewhere…"

Again, he talked about it like he was talking about bugs or the velocity of a bullet, but Nick couldn't be more out of his comfort zone.

"Can you bring some over?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll be over in a minute. Do you think she needs super, or light…"

"Just bring all kinds, Gil!"

"Alright. See you in a few."

Nick hung up and walked back to the bathroom door, knocking again.

"Mal?"

"What, dad?"

"Uncle Gil's coming over with some…stuff."

"What? You called Uncle Gil? Why didn't you get Catherine?"

"She's out! He's the best I could do."

"He's so weird! Couldn't you have called Ashley's mom instead?"

"You're getting your stuff, that's what's important."

There was an awkward silence as Nick decided to sit down by the bathroom door in case she needed him, though he didn't really want to help her in any way in this state. He stared at the phone in his hands as he tried to think of something to say without completely embarrassing Mally and himself.

"You still alright in there?"

"You know….how is it possible for something to bleed for an entire week and not die?" She wondered out loud, knowing it would gross out her dad.

"I'm not going to answer that. You can ask Uncle Gil when he gets here. He's got at that stuff."

"Or I could just kill myself and get it over with."

"Mal. Don't talk like that."

Just then the phone rang, startling the mortified father. It was Gil.

"Hey, it's me again. Listen, you're not gonna believe this, but there is not one single pad or tampon in this house. Nada."

"What? Are you kidding me?" It was like he was stuck in the middle of a horrible sitcom.

"No. We'll have to go to the store."

"I'm not asking for that stuff at the store!"

"Nick, it's your daughter. She needs it! Be a man!"

"Will you come with me?" Nick asked, sounding like a little kid.

"Yes, Nick. Would you like me to hold your hand too?"

"Hey, this is hard for me! Wait till Natalie starts."

"Yeah. I'll meet you at Walgreen's in ten."

They hung up again and Nick picked himself up off the floor.

"Mal. I'm gonna have to go to the store. They didn't have any."

"Are you kidding? I'm dying here!" She yelled from within.

"Just hold tight, sweetheart. We'll be back soon."

Nick sped off in his Denali, leaving Natalie alone in the bathroom, coping. He'd never driven so fast before in his life, except for when Mally was born. Gil arrived at about the same time he did, because his house was closer. He could tell Nick was worried and grossed out at the same time. His little girl was growing up. He'd been through it with Lindsey before, but he'd taken it a little bit better than Nick. Well, a lot better.

"Nick, just breathe. It's all part of…"

"I know. All part of growing up. I can't help it. I'm freaking out here."

The two men went inside and found the feminine aisle quickly. They were shocked to find a number of different brands, and an endless number of combinations.

"What does she need?" Gil asked.

"Hell if I know!"

"Let's see. It's her first time, so probably not tampons…"

"Grissom! You don't have to think out loud!"

"Pads with wings…extra slim…heavy…fast-absorbing…light…magic dust…"

Just then, a young female employee came up to them. She'd seen them enter and one looked really freaked.

"May I help you with something?" She asked in a pleasant tone. Both men turned to see her, looking surprised and not sure if they wanted to talk to her.

"Yes, miss." Gil started, smirking. He turned to his friend and put a hand on his shoulder. "This is my friend Nick Stokes. His daughter got her first period today, and he needs some help picking out some appropriate products."

"Well, tell her congratulations for me."

Nick looked at her like she was crazy.

"Yeah, I'll do that. What do I need?"

"Well, first timers usually prefer pads. I'd recommend the slim fitting regular flow fast absorbing."

She pulled a package off the shelf and handed it to Nick, who in turn handed it to Grissom.

"Thank you, ma'am." Nick told her. Grissom punched the package back to Nick's chest as they walked towards the cash register. "Thanks a lot, Grissom." He told him. Grissom must think he was pretty smug, embarrassing the hell out of him like that.

"Hey, I was just trying to get information. For Mally's sake."

"Thanks. And Mally thanks you too." They exchanged goodbyes in the parking lot and headed their separate ways.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

"I have them!" Nick yelled as he walked through the door. "I got 'em, Mal." He said a little softer as he neared the bathroom. Nick was surprised to see the bathroom door open. Just then, Mally came down the stairs from her bedroom.

"Mal, what are you doing out? You didn't have…"

"I used the phone, dad. I called Mrs. Jenkins next door and she brought some over. You should try it sometime."

Nick dropped the bag he was carrying on the floor, surprised that she had thought of something so simple. He'd meanwhile been losing his mind. Sometimes, he just knew she was so much smarter than him.

"Oh…well…okay. Good thinking." He gave her an approving nod.

Mally grinned at her dad. He was so lost with this female stuff. He really needed a girlfriend. She leaned down and picked the bag off the floor.

"But thanks for getting these. I'll use them at some point."

"Uh…you're welcome."

Mally looked around her dad at the bathroom, trying to signal for him to move, but he didn't get it. Big surprise.

"Excuse me, dad." She gently pushed him aside and stuffed the bag in the cabinet. "Do we have any Advil? I'm getting girl pains really bad."

"Girl pains?"

"Dad…"

"Oh, right. Yeah, I'll get you some."

Nick had trouble speaking the rest of the night and even looking at his daughter. He was just glad she knew what she was doing. As a single dad, he really had no idea how to deal with stuff like this – he had to deal with everything, no matter what. He had been thinking a lot of the evening quietly about how at this stage in her life, Mally really needed a mother. Nick hated himself for not being able to provide her with one. He did his best, though, and they thankfully did have a good enough relationship. She acted so maturely for her age sometimes, and he was so proud.

When he tucked her in that night, though, Nick realized nothing had really changed.

"Are you okay now?" Nick asked her, sitting on the age of her bed, leaning over her.

"Yes, dad. I'm fine." She smiled up at him.

"You don't need anything?"

"I know where the bathroom is."

Nick chuckled a little. "Good. I love you, Mally." He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Night."

"Good night, daddy."

Nick smiled as he walked to her door and switched off the light. Yeah, nothing had changed – he still tucked her in at night, and she still called him daddy. Everything was fine.


	11. Gone

A/N: Thanks so much for the great reviews from chapter 10, guys! That's the most reviews I've gotten for this fic. Woo hoo! This is set when Mally was two, and it's an angsty one. Special thanks to MrsEAds for encouraging me to write about this time in their lives. Please enjoy and review. 

Two year old Mally was in her car seat in the back of Nick's Tahoe, bawling incessantly as her father tried to concentrate on the road and soothe her as much as possible. He hated having to do it, but really didn't have any choice. Though he and Mally's mother weren't married, they had a custody agreement about their daughter. Nick had her during the week, and Carolyn on the weekends. Nick was surprised that she wanted Mally around at all, the way she acted towards their daughter. It made Nick sick to see how inattentive and neglectful of Mally that Carolyn was. But because Nick wanted her, Carolyn seemed to demand time with the toddler just to spite him and tick him off.

It was Friday night, and they were on their way over to Carolyn's. This was Nick and Mally's least favorite time of the week. Mally really didn't want to go, and Nick's heart shattered each time he had to leave his precious daughter with his heartless ex. Nick had countless conversations with Carolyn about why she even bothered to have Mally over if she wasn't going to take care of her. He'd always get some smartass, juvenile answer, further convincing him she was unfit to be a mother. She was on a ballerina's diet, and didn't really have the right nutritious foods for a developing two year old. Today, Nick had a cooler of healthy foods in the passenger seat that Carolyn could give her.

"Mally, darlin', please don't cry." He looked over his shoulder at his daughter, sitting diagonally from him.

"Don' wanna go wif momma!" She cried. "Pwease, daddy!" The little girl reached her hand out at her beloved daddy, wanting to feel closer to him. Nick reached back with his right hand to grasp the tiny, pudgy fingers of his daughter. She clung to him like she would never see him again in her life, and it made his heart shatter.

"Sweetheart, your momma needs to see you too. And you'll be back at my house on Sunday night."

"Don' wanna gooooooo!" She wailed, tears streaming down her reddened face. Nick sure as hell didn't want to take her there, but Carolyn had actually threatened legal action if he didn't bring her over.

Nick spent the next few minutes of the drive trying to calm his daughter, all the while cursing Carolyn in his mind at what she was doing to the mere two year old. She didn't deserve to be tossed around like this, and to have such an uncaring mother. Nick knew that having two parents was usually the best for a child, but in this case, he knew they'd be better off without Carolyn. She was a walking nightmare.

They finally pulled into the driveway of a working-class home on the outskirts of Las Vegas, the sounds of dogs barking nearby, and an argument next door. Nick hated this neighborhood. It was not the right environment for a young child. He went to the back right door and immediately, Mally threw her arms around his neck, wanting to be held. Nick gently shushed her and unbuckled her car seat. The girl practically jumped into his arms, and she wrapped her legs around him, clinging to her father. Her crying died down a little now that she had her daddy, and she rested her head on his shoulder, exhausted from all the emotion.

Nick rang the doorbell and waited for Carolyn to answer. After about twenty seconds, she still hadn't answered, so he decided to open the screen door that had a huge gash down the middle, and then the front door. He stepped in and the screen door crashed loudly into the frame, echoing on the bare walls.

"Carolyn?" He called out. The house was totally silent, and clothes and items were strewn about the living room. "Carolyn? It's Nick. Are you here?" He walked into the kitchen – cupboards open, revealing empty shelves inside; nothing in the refrigerator. Nick made his way through the rest of the house finding a similar story in each room. Many of the things were gone, and everything left was abandoned messily. Mally had been quiet the whole time, just resting her head on Nick's shoulder, sucking on her fingers. Nick went back to the kitchen, readjusting the girl a little. She was getting heavier every day. On the kitchen table, he found a piece of paper he had missed before, written in Carolyn's beautiful penmanship.

_Nick – I can't stand this damn town any more. I decided to head to New York City to find a dancing job there. You can have Mally. I won't be back._

_Carolyn_

Nick's lips curled together in disgust, though he knew something like this wasn't out of her realm. She'd abandoned them. Abandoned her baby; her own flesh and blood. He felt almost physically sick at how wrong he'd been about her almost three years ago. The only reason Carolyn contacted him was because she expected child support when the baby was born. It was the call that had changed his life, though. His happiest memories were learning of his daughter, and being there for her birth. He'd thought for a brief moment after Mally was born that it had changed Carolyn, but soon she was back to her self-centered ways - ignoring Mally's cries; refusing to hold her. Nick had immediately taken on full parental responsibility for both of them, and could never even think of doing otherwise. Nick sighed as he cradled Mally's head in his hand. She had no idea what was going on, but her life had just changed forever. And, Nick thought, it was probably for the better, even though it was really sad.

"Where momma?" The sleepy toddler asked her father, picking up her head.

"Momma had to go away, sweetheart." He told her, a little teary-eyed. Not because he was sad about Carolyn leaving, but because such a little person had so much to face in her life. "You can come back and stay with daddy. Would you like that?"

"Yes." She wrapped her arms around Nick's neck again.

"Good. I'd like that too." Nick kissed his daughter's head, and then headed for the front door. Though it had come to an abrupt end, Nick was somewhat relieved it was over. He didn't have to interact with Carolyn at all now, as long as she stuck to her plan of living in New York City. Nick realized she could pop up again at any time, but he prayed she wouldn't, for Mally's sake. As they exited the house, the sun was going down on the warm Las Vegas evening, fireflies slowly appearing, lighting up the dusky sky. Mally was asleep now, so Nick gently placed her in her car seat and buckled her in, ending by kissing her forehead. As they drove off back to Nick's house, he glanced in his rearview mirror at his sleeping baby. He was all she had in this world, and she was all he had. But somehow, that was okay.


	12. Locked Out

A/N: A'ight. So the consensus seemed to be…UPDATE SINGLE DADDY. That crazy Canadian MrsEads is really demanding, in case you didn't know. I'll try to update LS:AI and this fic a little before starting with my LMG sequel, if that's kewl with y'all. Please review, and thanks for all the feedback from chapter 11.OMG! I just saws previews on cbs for the last 4 eps for this season, and Nick…..HAS SHORT HAIR! Yay! I'm so happy. I love George with short hair!

The little five year old couldn't help but snicker constantly as she carefully dabbed the brush into the nail polish bottle one last time. Mally's father had fallen asleep on the couch while watching reruns of Punky Brewster. Big mistake. Now his daughter had nabbed some bright pink nail polish and was almost finished applying it to all ten of his fingernails. Nick's left hand lay on his stomach, and his right was perched on his hairline, just above his forehead. Mally was trying to finish his right thumbnail, the last one. Her face was inches from his, and finally, she couldn't take it anymore. She burst out laughing, sending a wave of breath and sound at the napping father.

"Wha-" Nick immediately sat up straight at the startlement to find his daughter in a ball on the living room floor, laughing her head off. In one hand, she had a bottle of the bright pink nail polish she'd worn for her first dance recital last year; the one she knew her dad really hated.

"Mally Elyse, you really should not scare people when they're sleeping." He said, a little annoyed at being woken from his peaceful slumber. But who wouldn't want to be woken up by a gorgeous, five-year-old brunette cackling with that little girl laughter? Nick still hadn't realized what had happened, so he bent down and picked her up, holding her high in the air. Mally was a fit of laughter as he spun her around and then gently body slammed her to the couch.

"Daddy!" She laughed, thinking she should tell him about his gorgeous nails. "Look at your fingers!"

Nick looked down and screamed. "What the hell did you do?" He demanded of her, though he was smiling. Nick had learned to take a lot more jokes than he had before he was a father. Mally was full of jokes and tricks for him. "That's it. You're getting tickled." He said matter-of-factly.

Mally yelled "Nooooooo!" But didn't even bother to try to move to get away. She loved to be tickled, obviously, as a five year old. Nick pounced at her, tickling her sides and tummy, sending his daughter squealing. She finally couldn't stand it anymore and got off the couch, running for the back door.

"Mal! Come back here!" He yelled from the doorway. But Mally was running in circles in the backyard, so he didn't see any harm in chasing after her. The Stokes' house had automatic locking doors, Nick having taken extra precautions for safety as a CSI who'd seen too much. He felt his back pocket to make sure he had his keys, and then proceeded out the door, letting the door lock behind him.

"Catch me, daddy!" She yelled from behind a tree. Nick began to stealthily move around the lawn, pretending to stalk her. Mally continued giggling as she ran from place to place. The kid was like a damn cat, the way she moved. Nick didn't know she'd gotten so fast and could dodge him so easily. He'd have to make sure she applied her skills when little boys started chasing her. Nick was getting a little out of breath and worn out after about five minutes. He decided to take a different approach. Nick hid behind a bush near the back of the house and waited for her to get bored.

Mally ran around for about a minute or so before she started wondering where her daddy was. She knew he was hiding, but didn't know where. Mal couldn't help but giggle as she timidly looked behind trees and bushes. Finally, she came to the large bush her father hid behind. When she was close enough, Nick let out a loud yell and stormed out, grabbing the squealing kindergartner and throwing her over his shoulder fireman style. He spun her around, causing her to slap at his back, begging to be put down. When Nick felt he'd had enough, he pulled her over his shoulder and set her on his hip, giving her two smooches on the cheek.

"You thought you could outsmart your daddy." He shook his head, looking at her. Mally grabbed both sides of his face, and moved it from side to side, making a bug face at him. Nick tickled her side, and she quickly stopped. He set her down, getting tired of holding her – she was getting so big!

"Alright, trickster, I need to go get dinner ready."

"Do we have to have Mac and Cheese again?" She moaned, knowing it was one of the few things her father could cook.

"What if I add a hot dog to it?" He tried, grimacing.

"Okay….." She said, and they walked to the back door together. Nick pulled out his keys from his back pocket and started searching through for the right one. After about thirty seconds, he realized something was very wrong.

"Shit!" He said. "I took my door key off! I had to leave it out for the exterminator!" Nick realized, remembering the bug man's visit the previous day. He cupped his hands on the glass and looked inside, seeing the key sitting on the kitchen counter. "Shit!" He said again.

"Well, frost my cookies!" Mally said, repeating something her grandmother had exclaimed on their last visit. Nick looked down and ruffled her hair a little, letting her know it was okay.

"I left my cell phone inside, dammit." He muttered to himself. They'd locked themselves out of the friggin' house. His extra care to protect his family had just kicked him in the face. Nick quickly looked down at his daughter, assessing her size.

"Mal, do you want to try being a kitty cat today?" He asked.

"Huh?" She looked up at her dad, knowing it was another of his stupid ideas. That man was one weird daddy.

"You're still pretty small. Let's go around to the front door and see if you can fit in." The previous owners had a cat and Nick had never gotten around to replacing the door, even though they had no feline or dog.

"Are you crazy, daddy?" She put her hands on her hips, seeming so grown up that it made Nick laugh.

"Please, baby. I don't know when we'll get back in if you don't try."

"Will you make me something besides Mac and Cheese?" She bargained, raising her eyebrows.

Nick threw his head back. He really couldn't cook, but for this, he'd have to pay her back.

"How about McDonald's?"

"Deal."

The pair walked to the front of the house and they both knelt down on the front porch, assessing the size of the door. It would be a tight squeeze, but she might be able to do it.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

"Daddy, I don't get you sometimes." Mally admitted, as she moved to sit on her knees. She pushed the flap open, peering inside. The little girl reached in and threw a couple of her Barbie dolls out of the way. With her first half in, Nick grabbed her by the waist and tried to hold her bottom half up while she crawled forward. As she walked, her sides scraped against the edges a little, but not enough to hurt. He slowly moved his hands down her legs as she went further, supporting her feet until she flipped to sit on her bottom.

"I'm in!" She yelled back. Nick clapped his hands together in celebration.

"Good job, baby!" He stood up. "Now unlock the door for daddy." He waited to hear the familiar click of the door opening, but it didn't come. Instead, the face of his five year old appeared at the side window, looking very mischievous.

"Mal, what are you doing? Let daddy in." He told her, putting his hands on his hips.

"We'll get to that in a minute." She announced, and he was at her total mercy for the first time ever. The little devil. "Why should I let you back in? You'll just make me go to bed!"

"Mal, I promised you McDonald's, remember?" Nick thought this was a little ridiculous, but he had to hand it to Mally. She was so smart.

"I'll let you in IF" she paused dramatically, "You don't make me clean my room, make _something_ besides Mac and Cheese, play Barbies with me every day, AND keep your nail polish on _all week_." The little girl's face was so serious that it scared him.

Nick chuckled, with fear in his voice. How had he raised this Satan's spawn?

"Mal, come on. You're being ridiculous."

"That's the deal. Take it or leave it."

Nick readjusted his stance.

"Mally, I'm gonna count to three…"

"And then what?" She said without missing a beat.

Nick gaped, not believing she was trying this. He knew she was trying to be funny, but the kid wanted some serious results. Nick considered his options. Mally was normally a reasonably amount fearful of him when he faced her with a consequence, but his warning didn't seem to faze her. He'd been quiet for about thirty seconds now.

"What's it gonna be, daddy-o?"

"I'll make you a nice dinner for a week, but Mal, you know the rules about keeping you room clean, and I am not wearing this nail polish to work. It would interfere with evidence."

"You wear gloves." She pointed out. Dammit!

"Sweetheart, you don't understand that grown men can't wear pink nail polish to work."

"Why not?"

"Because it's really weird. Guys don't wear nail polish, especially not pink."

"Well I saw Boy George with it on." She reasoned, not understanding the intricacies of the world yet at her tender age.

"Exactly."

"What?"

"Sweetheart, please let me in and we'll talk about it."

"Nope. I need a deal."

Nick sighed, not believing he was actually being threatened by his own pint-sized daughter.

"Alright Mal. Here's the deal. I'll cook a nice dinner and play Barbie's for one week, you don't have to clean your room for four days, and I'll wear the nail polish one day only."

Mally was silent while she contemplated for a few moments. Nick patiently waited, his arms crossed across his chest as the sun started to go down behind him.

"Mal?"

"Okay. Deal." She finally said. Nick heard her footsteps inside as she made her way to the door. Finally, he heard the gentle click of the door unlocking. She opened it slowly to find a solemn-looking Mally. He was surprised not to find her all smiles at the deal she'd just landed. As Nick walked in, she wrapped her arms around his waist. Nick's arms went around her form, patting her back in comfort. He wasn't sure what was going on now.

Mally clung to him like she'd just been through some awful ordeal. Nick moved to shut the door, his daughter never budging from him. Then he heard sniffles.

"Mal, you okay? You just landed the deal of the century."

She continued, and he'd heard enough. Nick gently grabbed her upper arms and picked her up. Mally wrapped her legs around him and buried her face in his neck before he had a chance to look at her face. Nick was very confused, so he just cradled his head and walked to the couch, sitting down carefully. He moved her legs so they draped over his, and just let her cry, all the while stroking her dark brown hair. Finally, she removed her face from his neck and pawed at her eyes, still sniffling. Nick immediately kissed both her eyelids and stroked her bangs back.

"What's wrong, baby girl?"

She took in some tearful breaths before answering, "I don't know." The little girl truthfully didn't know why she was so upset. She guessed she was just really glad that she'd get to spend more time with her daddy for the next week. She didn't get to spend as much time with him as she'd like. Well, Mally would spend 24/7 with him if she could, but that wasn't possible.

Nick figured she just missed him while he was away at work so much, so he just smiled and kissed her forehead.

"That's okay. You don't have to have a reason to cry. Sometimes people just feel like crying."

"I just felt like cryin'." She agreed, and rested her head on his shoulder. Nick just held her there on his lap silently, gently stroking her hair and back as she calmed down. Soon, he became aware that she was asleep, so he stood up again, carrying her in his arms to her bedroom. It was actually pretty clean, the result of him making Mally clean her room whenever it got messy. That turned out to be a few times a week.

As he layed her down in her bed and pulled up the covers, Mally stirred, rubbing her eyes.

"Daddy?"

"It's alright, baby. You just take a nap for a while. Daddy will be in the kitchen making you something really special."

Mally smiled and reached up to hug her daddy. As Nick went to the door, she called out again.

"Daddy, you don't have to wear the nail polish." She told him.

"Thank you." He said, knowing her deal was really just about getting more time with him. That he could live with. "Sweet dreams, Mally."


	13. Those THINGS

A/N: I got the most reviews for the chapter when Mally got her first period, so this one is about bra shopping and "the talk". Mally is eleven in this one, but Nick has not started dating Sara yet. Please enjoy and review!

"Daddy, I think I got my breast bud."

Water involuntarily spurted from Nick's mouth all over the morning newspaper and the table. Nick had been caught off-guard to say the least. When he'd caught his breath and wiped his mouth, he looked up to see his eleven year old daughter staring back at him, serious as could be.

"Excuse me?"

"The breast bud." She repeated, like it was nothing. "In health class, they said that when a girls' breasts are beginning to form, the areolas puff out a little…"

"Okay, okay, okay!" He stopped her, rubbing his eyes. "I get the point. Why are you telling me this?"

"Well, I need a bra, dad. And I can't drive myself." She told him matter-of-factly. Nick had been trying not to look at his daughter, but he finally did. He couldn't help but look at her chest to see what she was talking about, but then quickly looked away.

"Dad, I saw that." She told him. Instead of letting it go, she started explaining more. "See dad, there's some bumps poking at my shirt." Mally pointed to where she was talking about, and Nick quickly looked away. This was wrong. He knew he was a single father and he dealt with everything, Nick didn't remember anything about talking about….those things.

"Alright, Mal, I believe you." His face was beet red now. Didn't he just take her to kindergarten? "Let me clean this up and I'll take you to the mall."

"No, dad!" She told him off like he was a little kid. "Don't take me there, I'll be so embarrassed!"

Nick looked incredulous, not understanding why she could talk about it so openly with him, but not wanting to be seen at the mall buying a bra.

"Then where?"

"I don't know. Take me to Kohl's or something."

Nick was dreading this, and suddenly he got an idea.

"Why don't you have Catherine take you. She'd be better at this. I wouldn't even know what to get."

"But I don't want Catherine!" She moaned. "I want you!"

Nick studied his daughter intently (her face). What a goober. He loved when she still wanted to do things with him, but bra shopping? This was not something he knew anything about. He just knew how to remove them. His daughter looked at him with pleading eyes, and he could tell that for some wild reason, he was the only person she'd be comfortable bra shopping with. How could he say no?

"Alright, get your shoes on." He muttered reluctantly.

"Thank you, daddy!" She told him, and ran upstairs to retrieve her flip flops. Nick took the next few minutes to clean up the dispewed water from the table, and threw the newspaper away. Nick hated shopping, and this was going to be the weirdest shopping trip ever. Why didn't preteen girls come with a parental owner's manual?

The car ride over was silent. Mally could tell she'd made her father uneasy, but what did he want her to do? Ignore them? Sure, they were mosquito bites, but soon she'd be developing. Nick was nervously tapping on the wheel, and Mally decided to call him on it.

"Daddy?"

Nick about jumped.

"What?"

Mally laughed before she continued.

"Daddy, are you freaked out by this?"

"By what?"

"By me getting boobs?"

"Huh? Nah. You were just really blunt, and it was the last thing I thought you were going to say." Nick chuckled nervously, frightened that his daughter could see through him so easily.

"You know, dad. When we first started human growth and development, our teacher had the girls' group yell breasts five times really loud to get it out of our system."

"What?" What the hell kind of school was he sending her to?

"So you're not uptight anymore. Try it. It helps."

"Yeah, I can see that it helped. No way."

"Daddy, you'll feel better."

"Mal, let's drop it please. I am not going to yell that word driving down the road."

Mally studied her dad, an amused look on her face.

"You're too chicken." She challenged him.

Nick gaped and looked over at his daughter, not believing she was actually challenging him.

"Mal, I am too mature to be playing little fifth grade games. I don't have to yell to get it out of my system, because I am perfectly comfortable using that word."

"See, you won't even say it!"

"Mal…"

"Say it!"

"Fine! Breasts!" He said rather loudly, causing Mally to giggle. "Breasts, breasts, breasts, breasts, breasts!"

"And do you know any slang words, too? Get them out."

"I draw the line at breasts. I said it, you should be content."

Mally just laughed and went back to looking out the window.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

Mally and Nick arrived at Kohl's, and Mally walked to the lingerie and undergarments sections. Nick was already uncomfortable as he followed her, surrounded by every variety of bra and panty known to man. Huge bras, tiny bras, polka-dot bras, lacy bras, thongs, boy-cut, and practically whole-body. Ugh. He just stood there and looked around a little, and Mally looked for an employee.

"Excuse me?" She stopped an old lady worker. "I'm looking for my first bra, and my dad doesn't know what he's doing."

The woman laughed. Seemingly she'd been through this before.

"I understand. Come this way." The woman weaved her way through the rows of undergarments and found a special section just for budding pre-teens. She picked up a few, and addressed both of them.

"Now, she should start with a training bra, just to get used to the feel of having that extra support there." She showed them a pale pink bra, and then handed it to Nick. Nick looked at it like it was an alien baby and quickly passed it to his daughter.

"After a couple months, she'll probably wanted to move into single A. I'm guessing you're probably about 25 inches around. Try a 25A, sweetheart." The woman handed the bra to Mally this time. She also handed over a variety of different styles and started explaining to Mally how she would know when to move up a bra size. Nick tried to drown it out. After a few minutes, Mally had accumulated about five bras, and she headed to the changing room.

"You need to try 'em on?" He asked her, wanting to get this over with.

"I have to make sure they fit!" She told him, like he was an idiot. Which he was, in this department.

"I don't want to see 'em." He told her, and took a seat outside the door. Nick sat there with his arms crossed, one leg propped up on the other, as he waited for her to make her decisions. He heard a series of puzzled groans, and then happy sounds, and then confusion again.

"Mal? You okay in there?" He asked.

"I don't know, dad."

"Well, put your shirt on and maybe I can help."

"Okay." A few moments later, she opened the door. Nick couldn't really tell a difference, and thought that was the point.

"It looks fine." He told her.

"Dad!"

"Well, what's the confusion about? Are they comfortable?"

"I guess."

"Well, that's the point. They…support you. But they shouldn't hurt or be itchy." He added, remembering something an old girlfriend told him.

"Gee, dad. Thanks for your wisdom. I don't know if they're too baggy."

"Well, you'll…" He paused, getting embarrassed again. "You'll grow into 'em."

Mally rolled her eyes and shut the door. Her dad was something else. But at least he was trying to help. She decided on three, and brought them out. Nick paid for them, and they headed back home. Once again, the ride was pretty much silent. Her dad decided to play some country music to drown out the uneasiness.

When they got home, Mally took her bag up to her room, and presumably put on her training bra. Why the hell'd they have to train to wear a bra? They didn't have training jock straps. Well, maybe that's what tightie whities were for. She came back downstairs a few minutes later, sitting at the breakfast bar while Nick started lunch. Again, Mally sat there seemingly like nothing had changed, but Nick's mind was racing. She was becoming a woman, right before his eyes. He didn't think he could handle it. What would he ever do when she started menstruating? Nick figured he would pass out.

After lunch and a lot of thinking, Nick decided maybe he should check to see how much she knew about…stuff. She was a developing young woman now, and she might be having…urges. Or maybe she was curious. He was her dad. It was his job to talk to her about these things. Nick remembered the embarrassing talk his own father had with him. He would've hated if his mom tried to have the same talk with him. What would Mally think if he brought it up? Well, she was so casual about the breast bud thing, he thought maybe she wouldn't mind.

"Uh…Mal?" He asked her, as they finished loading the dishwasher together.

"Yeah, dad?"

Nick looked down at the dishwasher for a moment.

"Uh…why don't you go over to the couch and sit down. We need to talk."

"What did I do?"

"Nothing, nothing. I just need to…explain a few things."

Mally looked at him like he was Frankenstein and did as he said. Nick dried his hands on the towel and slowly walked over to where Mally was sitting, still unsure of the conversation he was about to start. Now was as good a time as ever. They'd just make a big 'ole day of it.

"I know now that you're _developing_." He clasped his hands and Mally bit her lip, knowing what he was trying to talk about. "And I know you may be starting to get curious about things."

"Dad, are you trying to talk about sex with me?" She sad bluntly. This was coming from a man who could barely say the word breast. Did he think she was an idiot?

"Yeeeees." He said in a funny voice.

"Dad, I know more than you think."

Nick didn't want to know what, but couldn't stop his mouth from forming the words in time.

"Like what?" He half expected her to get all embarrassed and start using words like "thingy", but she showed maturity.

"Well, when a responsible man and woman love each other, they decide to have sex. The man puts his penis in her vagina, and then they both have an orgasm. The man's sperm can fertilize the egg."

Nick couldn't quite form words. Yeah, if only it were that easy. And an orgasm every time? Whew!

"Okay." He said, patting his legs, unsure of how to continue. What else was there to know? "Have your teachers talked to you about when's the right time?"

"Yes, dad. When you love each other very, very much."

"And hopefully, not until you're thirty."

"Dad!"

"Alright, alright. I know right now you probably don't have any interest in…doing that. But as you get older, you need to seriously think about what you're getting into."

"I know, dad." She still thought boys were kind of icky, but they were already chasing after her, something Nick was well aware of. As a law enforcement agent, he was also well aware of the new trends, especially the fact that teens were instead having oral sex instead of real sex.

"Have they talked to you about what oral sex is?"

"Daaaad! That is so disgusting! Never, in a million years will I ever do

that!" The idea seemed totally revolting to the young girl, and she made a disgusted face.

"Good. I just don't want any boys pressuring you. You know you can ask me about stuff, right? Like you did today? I know I was caught a little off guard, but we need to be able to talk about these things."

"I will, dad." She said honesty. Other kids at school talked about how much of a pain their parents were and how they didn't get along, so Mally felt thankful that she was so close to her dad. She'd always known he was special.

"I know I'm you're dumb old, dad, but I hope you can trust me."

"I do, daddy." She told him, giving him a hug.

"Good." He kissed her on the head and hugged her back. "Go get lost and have some fun with your friends." Nick told her. It was Saturday afternoon now, and she'd been with her dad all day so far.

Mally went up to her room to call some friends, and Nick collapsed again on the couch.

He'd gotten through. They'd had _the talk_, just him and her. Now, if he could just find someone to practice taking a bra off, things would just be perfect…


	14. Little Miracle

A/N: I decided Mally's birth should be included in this. I also wanted to give a little more background on her mother. I hope you enjoy and please review!

Nick handed the cab driver a twenty and quickly sprang out the car, not caring that he'd given him about a forty percent tip. He rushed into the entrance of Desert Palms Hospital, where his ex-girlfriend was about to give birth. Bolting to the elevator, the damn thing didn't seem to go quite fast enough. He waited for it to get to the maternity ward and rushed to room 502. Carolyn had called him once she'd reached eight centimeter dilation. Though they had broken up about eight months ago, Nick would never miss the birth of his child for the world.

The whole relationship had been a mistake. He'd fallen hard for the beautiful young ballerina, and they'd slept together multiple times within a month long period. Nick soon found out she had quite a darker side, and hung out with the wrong group of people. The relationship had ended less than amicably, and they'd had little contact other than keeping Nick up to date on her pregnancy.

When he'd gotten the call; the call that changed his life; he had been at a crime scene at the body of a murdered child. The news had made him so elated. Never had he felt so much joy, pride, and fear. He was at a crime scene that displayed every parent's worst nightmare. Nick couldn't help but think of how he would need to protect this little life of his, and what a daunting task that would be. His heart was full with love for this young life he hadn't even met yet.

He knew she'd been drinking some during the pregnancy, but he could do nothing to stop it. She had control over her body, not him. Nick felt sick that his own child was possibly being poisoned inside of her. How could she be so selfish? Nick had finally convinced her to stop; she swore she wouldn't do it anymore during the pregnancy, but he couldn't be sure of that. As he entered the room, his mind was filled with hope, anticipation, and fear. Nick was terrified that his child would have a birth defect because of her drinking and God knew what else. He could never forgive her if his baby was harmed. But he'd love that kid with all he had.

Carolyn looked exhausted and irritated, but she actually did look beautiful. She was going to give birth to his child, so he had to love her for that. He timidly walked in and gave her a wave.

"Hey." She said, lolling her head to the side to look at him. The doctor was at her legs, a sheet covering her, examining her progress.

"Are you the father?" She asked Nick.

"Yes, ma'am." He told her, standing by Carolyn's side. Nick took her hand in his and squeezed, because he knew it must hurt. He may have hated Carolyn, but he was raised right. You don't abandon a woman, especially one who is pregnant with your child. When his parents had told him that, they never dreamed the woman pregnant with their son's child was a psychotic, self-indulging maniac. It was his child he cared about now; his flesh and blood.

"Well, she's dilated to ten centimeters now. You made it just in time."

Carolyn had purposely waited until she was almost ready to call Nick. She didn't want him at her side while she struggled and worked through each mind-numbing contraction. Carolyn didn't want his comfort. She really didn't want this baby at all, but it was too late for an abortion once she'd found out. Nick would never hear of it. The baby was already alive to him. She would feel it moving inside her, and wondered how she was such an awful person to want it gone.

"In a few minutes, I'm gonna ask you to push, but not yet." She instructed the laboring woman.

Nick looked down at Carolyn, who had a sheen of sweat at her neck and sternum. Her chest was heaving from the work she had done. She just wanted this baby out. Nick leaned down and kissed her forehead, still clutching her hand. It was a gesture of kindness and temporary solace between the two. Normally, when they talked now, they were at each other's throats, though Nick tried not to upset her, as she was carrying his child.

"How are you doing?" He asked her gently.

"What do you think?" She chuckled a little, despite the pain. Nick allowed himself a small smile. How could he be mad at her right now when she was going to bring his son or daughter into the world?

"You're doing great. You're so strong." He whispered to her, stroking the back of her hand. "It's almost over, then we'll see our baby."

Carolyn looked away. Our baby. It implied that they were together; that they were going to raise this child together. They were over. This baby was not going to grow up with two parents.

"Nick, we're not raising this baby together." She told him, looking back into his eyes. He was too good for her. They were from two different worlds. They'd had their fling, but now it was over, and they went back to their separate lives. But now, they were joined forever by this baby. It wouldn't be that simple.

Nick felt his eyes tear up. He guessed he'd always had this picture in his mind after he'd learned she was pregnant. She'd get her life turned around and get clean. They'd get married, and they'd raise this baby together. Nick knew it was stupid to hope for, but part of him wanted it. He wanted Carolyn to turn into that mother his child deserved. Nick felt dumb for thinking it would ever happen. They just looked at each other for a few moments, both realizing this baby would not be born into a fair situation. He or she would be born into a broken home.

"Alright, Carolyn." The doctor said, as she took her seat again at Carolyn's feet. "I'm going to ask you to push here in a second."

Nick readjusted his stance so he could face her bottom half, but still be attentive to her. He would help her through this birth; he owed that to her. It was half his. The doctor did a quick examination, Carolyn's face contorting a bit in the discomfort of it all.

"Alright, I can see the baby's head."

"Yeah, I can feel it." Carolyn almost snapped. Way to state the obvious.

"Okay, Carolyn, I want you to start pushing in ten second increments. Nick, can you help count?"

Nick thought he could handle that. Carolyn took a deep breath, then closed her eyes and started pushing.

"One…two…three…four…" Nick counted up with the OB/GYN delivering his child. At the end of ten, Carolyn let out a yell, exhausted from her exertion. She breathed quickly and rested her head on the pillow, preparing for the next pushing sequence. Nick squeezed her hand again and wiped some of the sweat from her forehead and neck with a nearby towel.

"Alright, again, Carolyn. You're doing great." She told her.

Nick counted to ten with the doctor again, watching Carolyn's face strain and contort, turning red from her effort. After a couple more pushing sessions, the baby's head was out. Nick decided not to look, not only because they weren't together anymore, but because he didn't think he could handle it with the amount of screaming that was going on.

"One last push, Carolyn, and the baby will be free."

Carolyn squeezed her eyes shut, totally beat from the labor, and pushed with all her might. Finally, the baby was free from her body, and the doctor took a firm hold of it. It had a set of lungs, which was a good sign to both parents, and the doctor.

"You have a baby girl!" She announced. Carolyn smiled and rested her head, and Nick kissed her forehead again, elated that he had a daughter. A little girl to protect always. But now they needed to find out if she was healthy. The doctor handed her to the nurse standing by. Nick quickly counted ten fingers and ten toes. Her head looked fine, other than being messy and a little squished from birth. After giving her an initial examination, the doctor gave the best news he'd heard since she'd come out.

"She's perfectly healthy." The doctor told the two parents. They both sighed in relief. Carolyn didn't want to be responsible for causing her daughter to have birth defects, and Nick couldn't be more relieved. He kissed Carolyn again in appreciation.

"Thank you for bringing our daughter into the world." He told her whole-heartedly. Nick was glad he wasn't a woman.

"You're welcome. She hurt." Carolyn smiled a little. The nurse brought their new little girl over, and handed her carefully to her mother. Nick teared up as he saw a change in Carolyn's face. She seemed so soft and caring, in contrast to what he knew about her now. She was a new mother, glowing, and beaming down at her newborn. The baby was awake, staring up at her momma with wide eyes. Nick thought she might have actually changed. He watched in awe as she pulled her gown down, exposing one of her full breasts, ready to feed her first born. Taking her nipple between two fingers, she guided it to her daughter's mouth and felt her latch on immediately.

Nick had never seen such a beautiful sight as a mother nursing her baby for the first time. Not knowing if it was okay, but not caring, he reached out and stroked his baby's head as she fed from her mother. Nick felt connected to both of them as a family, but knew it would never be. But he could still enjoy this moment.

"I've always liked the name Mally." Nick said gently, temporarily taking his eyes of his daughter to look at Carolyn. She smiled as she watched her newborn, and thought of what a great father she would have. That would be all she would have.

"Whatever you want, Nick. She's yours."


	15. Boys Suck

It was a rarity in the Stokes household. Nick had actually come home to a quiet house. He walked in the door from the garage to find his girlfriend Sara on the couch reading a forensics magazine, but not a sound in the entire house. Nick knew Mally was home too, because her favorite shoes were deposited on the floor next to her backpack.

Sara sat up on the couch when she heard the door. Nick had just returned home after a double shift. He was so thankful to have Sara in his life so that his daughter wasn't left alone at home so much. It was 4:30 in the afternoon, and he just wanted to crash. Grissom had told him to take tonight off after a double, but Sara would have to be leaving shortly for work.

"Hey, baby." Nick told her as he set his things down. He was exhausted and just wanted to crash, but how could he resist Sara Sidle? Nick took a seat next to her, leaning back lazily and rubbing a hand over his face. Sara put down her book and turned to face him, tucking her legs up underneath her.

"Tough shift?" She stroked his arm and gazed down at him.

"Tough two shifts." He commented. Nick looked up at Sara and saw that she too looked a little distressed, so he pulled her head down a little and gave her a slow kiss. "What's the matter?"

"Mally's upset." Sara said simply. The girl had been a firecracker lately with both of them. Though Sara didn't live there, she was over quite often because things were getting serious between she and Nick. Mally was touch and go – some days she was fine with it, and others she was mouthy and cold.

"What is it now?" He asked, though he was afraid of what she might say.

"I don't know. She wouldn't talk to me. Told me to shove my nose back in my book."

Nick's mouth contorted in disappointment, but was concerned about what had his daughter upset. She had just turned thirteen, so who knew what it was. What mattered to her seemed to change daily.

"I'm sorry." He told her, stroking her hair gently.

"It's not your fault." She smiled, though she knew he felt responsible for her manners.

"She knows not to talk like that. I need to go have a word with her." Nick gave her a few more long, slow kisses before forcing himself up off the couch. When Mally was younger, it was always easy to tell that when she was upset and why. But now, he was always taking stabs in the dark. And with all the mouthy comebacks she's been trying at length lately, he knew he had to bust her on each and every one.

He heard Linkin Park playing behind her closed door. She had just turned it on as he was downstairs, but it wasn't too loud to disturb Sara. Nick knocked, but didn't hear a 'come in'. He opened the door anyway, because she'd been doing that lately. Mally was laying on her bed, reading a magazine, not taking her eyes off it.

Wordlessly, Nick pulled out her desk chair and turned off her music. Mally sighed dramatically, knowing she was in for yet another lecture, but she was in no mood.

"You wanna tell me why you were rude to Sara again?"

"No."

"Humor me."

Mally didn't answer, but threw her magazine on the bed and started examining her nails. Ever since she'd walked in on them in a heavy petting episode, she had an evil eye for both of them. Things had been tense lately. He hated to threaten her, but that's how she'd been lately.

"Mal, I've had to ground you twice in the last month for you being disrespectful. Do we need to make it three?"

Mally huffed and sat up, finally looking at her dad. She sat pretzel style facing him. After he'd finally got a look at her eyes, Nick could tell she was actually upset about something.

"What happened, sweetheart? You're upset about something." Nick patted her knee in support for a moment and then took it back, leaning forward on his chair.

"I know you want to help me, but I'd rather not talk about it. Can we just leave it?" She requested.

"Sure. If that's what you want."

"Can I come downstairs and hang out with you?" She asked him, looking hopeful with her eyes. Mally knew very well that he was exhausted and was still asking to spend time with him, so Nick knew she must be really upset about something. But Nick would do anything for Mally.

"Of course. But I think you need to say something to Sara before she leaves."

"I'll apologize." She muttered as she stood up. Mally grabbed her baseball hat from the post of her bed and put it on. Nick hoped she didn't want to play catch, because he didn't think he was up to it.

"Good girl." Nick followed her out the room and back down the stairs. Mally immediately apologized to Sara, and it actually felt a little heartfelt, though it was short and sweet. Sara thanked her for apologizing, but then excused herself to go upstairs and change for work.

Mally dove straight for the freezer, and fixed herself one hell of a hot fudge sundae, the dessert she chose when she was particularly down. Three scoops of ice cream, a mountain of syrup, whipped cream, and caramel. Nick groaned at the site, and had to fix one himself. He joined his daughter on the couch as she put in Sleepless in Seattle after giving Sara a goodbye kiss.

Nick allowed Mally to get by for a while without saying anything, as they silently snacked on their ice cream, even though it was dinner time. He noticed that Mally shed a few tears at the beginning when they went to the mom's funeral, and the sadness afterwards. She tried to hide it with her baseball cap, but Nick had seen.

Mally got up off the couch when Meg Ryan decided not to go after Tom Hanks the first time. She took her dad's finished dish and hers to the kitchen, and returned with the whipped cream. Nick had to chuckle when she used the nozzle to deposit the topping directly into her mouth.

"Mally, what are you doing?"

"Eatin'." She said simply, staring at the screen.

"You've never eaten plain whipped cream before." Nick pointed out, taking the can from her hands and setting it on the other side of the table. "What's going on?"

"Nothin'." She reached over and took the can again, swirling some more into her mouth.

"Mal, put it down. That's not good for you." Nick reached for the can, but Mally turned and hid it in her arm, letting out an annoyed groan. "Fine. You better get to sleep tonight."

He just watched her for a few moments as she continued to spray the whipped cream into her mouth. It was so disgusting. When she started crying again at the movie, Nick finally called her on it.

"Sweetheart, I know you're upset. Why won't you tell me what's going on?" He pleaded with her.

Mally cried for a few moments, and finally allowed Nick to take the whipped cream from her. He put it on the floor out of sight this time, behind the couch. Nick stroked her hair as he waited for her to start.

"There's a boy at school…" She started, struggling. "And we've been going out for a month…"

Woah, back the train up! She was going out with someone?

"You're dating someone?"

"Y-yes." She sniffled. "But just at school, really. We never went on any real dates."

"Then what's the point?" Nick was confused. Teen drama and dating was not something he pretended to understand.

"Everyone does it dad." She said like he was an idiot. "We IM all the time, but I wouldn't dare have him call the house, knowing you."

Nick was thrown back by the complexity of teen relationships. They seemed to rely so heavily on technology to communicate. Whatever happened to the boy knocking on the front door, meeting the parents, and having her back by 9:00? Nick thought he'd been safe by not allowing Mally to get a cell phone, but she found other ways.

"So, he's your boyfriend?" Nick stabbed.

"Not any more." She muttered, looking down.

"Did you break up?" Not that they ever really 'went out', by his definition, but he could tell it was important to her.

"Yeah. He dumped me." Mally confessed.

"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry." Nick pulled her over for a hug, stroking her back gently and kissing her head. They stayed like that for a minute or so, Mally letting her beloved dad comfort her. He was the only person she could rely on.

"He IM'd me last night." She sobbed from his shoulder. "And today, everyone knew. He's already going out with Lisa Evans."

"Oh, sweetheart. That's awful of him. I'm sorry." Nick wanted to find out who it was and kick his ass personally for hurting his baby girl, but knew that wouldn't be appropriate. Mally would probably never speak to him again.

"He must be pretty dumb." Nick said, pulling back. "To not want to be around someone like you."

"Daddy, you're biased." Mally pointed out.

"I know, but you're wonderful." Nick told her. "You're smart, and beautiful, and funny, and such a good person. I'm so proud of you."

Mally allowed herself a small smile. She could always count on her dad to make her feel better.

"He doesn't know what he's missing." Nick hugged and kissed her again, and then felt that she had calmed down, so they both relaxed again on the couch. At the end of the movie, Nick turned it off and stood standing in front of Mally. She was looking a little better, but very lethargic.

"So, what do you want to do? Hang out with me tonight?" He lightly kicked her foot with his.

"I guess."

"You guess?" He mocked her, trying to sound whiny. "Do you want to bust out Beaches, or do you want to do something fun?"

Mally smiled, knowing he had something fun in mind.

"Something fun." She smirked, looking up at him.

"Get your shoes on." Nick gestured upstairs with his head. Mally immediately bolted up the stairs and found her tennis shoes, because she bet it was something active. Nick got ready also and they met in the Denali.

"Where are we going?" She asked excitedly.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out." He told Mally. She crossed her arms and stared out the window with a huge grin on her face, pretending to be angry. Nick just laughed as he pulled out into the street.

As they made their way through the streets of Las Vegas, Mally tried to think in her mind what the possibilities when he made turns. Some of her guesses were eliminated each time he changed directions, keeping her guessing. Finally, they pulled onto a back street near the desert, and she saw the sign.

"Paintballing?" She squealed.

"Yes, ma'am." He said in a thick accent. Nick had been out here with some friends, at the outdoor paintball arena. It was nighttime now, but they kept it lit up like a football field. Mally clapped her hands excitedly and bounced up and down in her seat.

"I think she likes it." Nick commented, smiling at her display of excitement.

Mally practically jumped out of the car and ran up to the check-in booth. Nick finally caught up, and bought them a half-hour session each. They got suited up and filled a bucket each with the balloon-like paintballs.

"I'm gonna get you." Nick taunted his daughter as they made their way into their section. It would be just the two of them, trying to throw and splatter as many paintballs as they could. Nick had yellow paintballs, and Mally had green.

The timer started, and they both moved stealthily about the arena, ducking behind objects and peeking their heads out. Mally couldn't help but giggle the entire time, easily giving away her position. Nick got the first hit when she fell on the floor laughing. He quickly moved behind a wall and waited for her to stumble around.

Nick could hear her getting closer, because she was trying desperately not to laugh, but he decided to let her stay dry this time. Well, for a little longer anyway. When she timidly poked her head around the wall where he was, she let out a loud scream and charged at him, pelting him right in the chest.

"A point for me!" She celebrated, putting her arms in the air. Nick got her in the armpit, and she scurried off again. The father and daughter continued for some time. Nick got Mally good from behind, rubbing one all over her face, and Mally got her dad in the butt once. They both looked pretty ridiculous at the end of their thirty minutes. As the buzzer went off, Nick came out with his hands up in surrender. Mally laughed at him, but then went over and gave him a big bear hug, smearing the paint all over each other. The thirteen year old rubbed her face up against his, getting paint all over his cheek. Nick swatted at her butt to get her to stop, and she about fell to the ground in laughter.

After they had changed out of their paintball coveralls and washed off their faces the best they could, Nick and Mally met up again at the front. Nick put his arm around her shoulders as they walked towards the car.

"Did you have fun getting your ass kicked?" Mally asked her dad.

"You're the one who got smoked!" Nick pulled her head under his armpit and gave her a noogie as they kept walking.

"Whatever, keep talking!" She pushed at his chest and stomach, trying to get away. He finally gave in and let her walk to the Denali. They both got in and buckled up, feeling a little better about their days.

They drove in silence for a few minutes, though Mally was trying hard not to laugh more. Finally, a chuckle escaped.

"What?" Nick smiled, looking over at her.

"I was just thinking about you with the paint smeared all over your face and your butt." She broke into fits of giggled, not trying to control it anymore. Nick started laughing too, the lines on his face showing. They just laughed for a few more moments, remembering their escapade.

"Thanks, daddy." She told him seriously, when the laughter was starting to die down.

"Thanks for what?"

"For cheering me up. Brian was really just an ass. I think I'm better off without him."

"Is that his name? Brian? Sounds like a wanker." Nick joked. "I'm proud of you for saying that. For not letting it upset you so much."

Mally smiled. She had been pretty distraught the whole day, but felt like taking it with a grain of salt now. It was just a boy.

"But next time, will you tell me when you're…" Nick paused and made quotations with his fingers, "'dating' someone?"

"Will you freak out?" Mally inquired, still not sure if he would or not.

"Well, I don't know. What if you bring home some guy with green hair and a nose ring? Do I have permission to freak out then?"

"You think I would do that, daddy?"

"Nah, I'm kidding, sweetheart. I know you have semi-good taste in boys." He paused for a few moments. "Just as long as you keep a place in your heart for me."


	16. Momentos

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Here's another dose of angst, but hey – that's their lives. Please review!

He'd always been so secretive and she couldn't stand it anymore. She had to know more. It was killing her. So as soon as her father had left for work one Monday night, Mally Stokes went into her father's bedside table in search of something; anything to do with her mother.

She'd had her fifth ballet recital this past weekend. The way her dad looked at her afterwards broke her heart. He looked forlorn, like she'd reminded him of something awful. She'd asked him what it was about, and he'd just replied that she reminded him of someone. Mally didn't know for sure, but she thought it must be her mother. No one else had quite an effect on her father. She was only ten years old, but she could see right through her dad. He'd been jaded bad by her mom. He was in love with her, and Mally knew she turned out to be something far from Nick's dream mother to his children. Carolyn had problems, she knew. But that's about all. Nick wouldn't really talk about her. Mally knew she was a mistake, and that hurt. Her dad loved her to pieces, but she wasn't wanted initially. And she wasn't wanted by her mother, apparently.

She opened the drawer and started thrifting through things. Mally found her first baseball mitt, her first lost tooth and the letter she'd written to the tooth fairy, and all her report cards. She could tell she was loved by this alone, but that wasn't enough. Who was her mother? Mally shoved the drawer shut and opened the next one.

More Mally stuff. Old drawings, paintings, handprints from preschool, and her first pair of ballet slippers. As she kept looking, she came across what appeared to be a stack of cards in the back corner. She curiously lifted them out, trying to make out the greeting of the top card. As Mally sat down on the floor, she could see the first card said, "Happy Third Birthday!"

Mally undid the rubber band that tied the stack together and felt her heart sink. Were these from her mother?

She opened the car, and inside was written one simple greeting – Love, mom.

Love. Love, mom. Suddenly, Mally felt disgusted. She wasn't sure if she was disgusted at her mother for saying she loved her after she abandoned her, or if it was at her dad for keeping these hidden. Mally closed the card and reached for the next one.

'Merry Christmas, Mally. Love, mom. 1996.' Mally was four years old that Christmas. Love again. Love, mom.

Tears started to well up in the ten year old's eyes as she continued to sift through the cards. There was one for every birthday and every Christmas. She hadn't missed one. And Mally hadn't gotten a single one. Why had her dad hidden this from her? She was sobbing on the floor when a voice startled her.

"Mally?" Came a tear-laced voice of Nick Stokes. He'd forgotten something and come back for it, and had been watching for a minute from the doorway. It broke his heart to see how much these meant to her. He'd debated for years whether to give them to his daughter or not, and had decided against it. She didn't need Carolyn in her life, confusing her and rejecting her time and time again. But now he wasn't sure of that decision, the way she looked up at him, tears streaming down her young, innocent face.

"Daddy?" She sniffled. "What is all this?" She obviously already knew, but wanted an explanation from her dad, the man who had kept this from her.

"I…I was waiting for the right time to tell you." He explained as he sat down next to her. Nick took a few from her hands and sifted through some, feeling almost physically sick. Cards, but never a phone call. Never a visit. She thought sending cards would fix what she'd done.

"Your mother sent you a birthday card and a Christmas card each year, as you probably figured out." He paused, wondering how to continue, sighing. "And I didn't show them to you because I didn't want you getting confused. You don't know her, and you don't know how she can be…"

"Obviously, I don't know her, because you never gave me the chance!" Mally glared at her dad, angry with him for real for the first time in her life. Sure, she'd been mad at him after getting punished sometimes or when he told her she couldn't do something, but this was a real issue. This was a serious trust issue to the fourth grader.

"Mally, she's manipulative, and she's all over the place. I didn't want you getting hurt. She'd be back and forth between here and New York, breaking your heart every time, and I couldn't have that." He raised his voice a little, but remained calm. Nick never wanted Carolyn anywhere near his daughter, and couldn't believe Mally was actually fighting him on this. She just didn't understand, but he couldn't blame her for wanting to know her mother. Except, her mother wasn't really the type of person you wanted to know.

"How do you even know her?" She sobbed, "You dated for a month, didn't you? How can you know who she is from that?"

"From the time you were born up until you were two, I had to cart you back and forth from her house to mine. You would bawl every time I took you, Mal. Every time. You hated going with her. She was neglectful, and unloving and…unmotherly! We're better off without her, believe me!"

"Why can't I decide for myself?"

Nick was about to yell another answer, when he stopped himself, running a hand through his short, brown hair. She had a point, though he hated to admit it. Even though he knew Carolyn was a complete terror, he'd denied her the opportunity to get to know her. It wasn't his choice. Carolyn was Mally's mother for good or bad. Sometimes you just had to let kids find out for themselves, no matter how much it hurt.

They were both breathing heavily and their hearts were racing. Both were so steeled in their reserves, not wanting to listen to the other's side. They allowed themselves a minute to calm down before Nick continued.

"Sweetheart, I know you're curious about your mother. And I know I haven't been very forthcoming about her. I don't blame you for wanting to know more, and being angry with me for not showing you the cards. I'm sorry, baby. I just don't want you to get hurt."

Mally let her father bring her in for a hug and a kiss, feeling safe cradled in his arms. His arms had been there for her forever. She knew he cared, and he wanted what was best for her. The proof was in his bedside drawers with so many items from her childhood. She was the apple of his eye.

Nick picked up the phone off the bedside table and dialed a number. Mally wasn't sure what he was doing, but didn't say anything.

"Yeah, Grissom? It's Nick. I'm going to be a little late to work today. I'll be in in about an hour, okay? Thanks."

Nick hung up and turned back to his little daughter, who was wiping her eyes from her crying bout. He helped her with his thumb and smiled down at her. Nick then turned back to the bedside drawers and got out a manila envelope at the very bottom. Mally eyed it curiously with anticipation as he opened it.

"If you want to know more about your mother, then I'd been an awful dad for not sharing what I have." He confessed, pulling out the contents. "The other night at the recital, I got a little emotional because you reminded me so much of Carolyn. She was a ballerina, just like you. I know that's where you get your gift, but that heart's all yours." He smiled.

Nick handed over the contents to her, consisting of pictures of Nick and Carolyn together, her in her ballet costume, and several programs of ballets she did. Mally was taken aback at how beautiful she was, and how much she looked like her. She examined each piece meticulously, tracing the edges with her fingertips lightly, taking in every centimeter of this new evidence. Nick watched her carefully, in case she got upset. He put his arm around his daughter in support as she continued to look through the keepsakes. Nick didn't know why he'd kept all this, because it was all painful. Maybe he knew deep down that one day his daughter would want to know about her mother.

As she moved the pieces around, a little half sheet fell out from the middle. Nick closed his eyes as he saw what it was, wishing he had thrown that one away. He cringed as she read the note out loud.

"_Nick – I can't stand this damn town any more. I decided to head to New York City to find a dancing job there. You can have Mally. I won't be back._ _Carolyn."_

Mally's voice started to shake as she read the cold-hearted note. The piece of paper fell from her hands as she started to cry again. Nick groaned inwardly at Carolyn, now that she'd hurt their daughter all over again. Damn, he wished he hadn't kept that note. Nick gently pulled Mally over into his arms, knowing how hurt she must feel. Her mother had abandoned her, and there was no hiding it.

"Ssshhhhh…it's okay." He tried to sooth as she cried quietly into his shoulder. Silent cries were the worst, because it meant she was crying hard. The worst part was her sharp intake of breaths every few moments as she had to gasp for more air. He wished he could wipe it away.

"No it's not!" She yelled into the crook of his neck. "She just left us, daddy!"

"I know it's not okay. But you're safe now. You're here with me, and I won't ever leave you." Nick cradled her head in his hand and kissed her several times, never wanting to let her go.

Mally was filled at that moment with hate and disgust for her mother. How could she ever want to meet her or want to get to know her? She had been so stupid for wanting to know more. Now she'd gone an upset her dad because of her childishness. The ten year old was filled with guilt and hurt, and didn't know what to do with it. Right then, she just knew that she didn't ever want to be at all like her mother. Not in any way.

Nick held his daughter for a few more minutes, silently, just letting her breathing steady. He would pay a million dollars to know what was going on in that mind of hers right now. Nick just hoped she wasn't blaming herself for this.

"You remember, none of this was your fault. It was your mom and I's problem, and we just couldn't work it out. You are the greatest gift she ever gave me. That anyone gave me. I want you to know that I could never regret that. Not for one minute. I love you so much, sweetheart." Nick kissed her head lovingly and gave her one last squeeze.

"Now what do you say we go outside and play a little catch before I head off to work?"

Mally nodded, deciding she'd like that a lot. From now on, she'd try to be more like her dad. She'd concentrate on softball and things they liked to do together, and she would be done with ballet. Done with that dance that her mother loved so much; loved more than her own daughter.

Nick and Mally went out to the backyard hand in hand, knowing their lives had just changed again. For the better or for the worst, neither of them knew.


	17. Big Trouble

A/N: Hola, y'all! I was thinking of ending this fic soon, with Nick marrying Sara, thus ending his "single daddyness". Let me know if you have any other ideas for scenarios for this fic. Please enjoy and review!

"Thank you for coming in, Mr. Stokes." The principal stood and shook Nick's hand as he entered his office. Nick looked down at an obviously upset and fearful Mally sitting at the chair in front of the principal's desk. She didn't dare look up at Nick, afraid of what he might say and what his face looked like.

"Please sit down." He motioned to the seat next to Mally as he returned to his desk. Nick had been called in from work to his daughter's school, and had been given vague information about Mally having done some inappropriate things. He could tell his daughter had been crying, and she sat looking sullen and defeated.

"Mr. Stokes, I called you in here today, because Mally was caught doing some inappropriate things in the female bathroom today. Miss Stokes, will you care to elaborate?"

The eleven year old shook her head no. There was no way she wanted to tell her father what she did, but knew it was part of the punishment.

Nick knew he could step in right now and order her to tell him, but he thought he'd put Mally in control. He decided not to say a word yet, just stared at her, waiting for her to give in.

Mally knew lying and fibbing were two things her father hated the most, though she often felt like resorting to these. Anything but the truth right now. What she had done happened on a whim; she was ashamed and knew her father would be disappointed. She was eleven years old and curious, and she'd been caught.

The principal seemed to be getting a bit impatient, so he stepped back in.

"Mally, I'm sure your father would appreciate it if you came clean and told him the truth. I could tell him, but I think if you told him it would be better."

The principal leaned back in his chair, studying Mally. The girl chose to steal a quick glance at her dad and wished she hadn't. His eyes were a mix of concern, disappointment, irritation, and love. She tried to focus on the love, but knew he was going to be so ashamed, and maybe angry. She shed a few tears, somewhat out of shame, but also knew tears sometimes had an effect on her dad.

"Come on, Mal. Tell me what happened." Nick finally urged her gently, concern and anger lacing his voice. He never dreamed he'd be called into school for discipline problems with Mally. She was such a good kid, and rarely got in any type of trouble. And when she did, it was never that bad. But this was different, he could tell.

"I got dared." She started, swallowing. "To meet Alan Jones in the girls' bathroom at ten o'clock. And I did."

"What did you do in the bathroom?" Nick prompted her. He knew he wouldn't have been called in for just that. Nick honestly didn't know what she'd done, because she'd obviously never done anything this serious before. It was bad enough that she was having trouble telling him what she did.

"We were…kissing." She cried a little bit, looking down at her hands. "And touching." She whispered.

Nick leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees and sighed one of those awful fatherly sighs, rubbing his eyes. Finally, he looked over at his daughter, who looked so disappointed and afraid. The principal let Nick take over.

"Mally, you are eleven years old." He reiterated, staring her down. "Eleven. Why on earth would you do that? Huh?"

"I was dared!" She sobbed, knowing that wouldn't work.

"So what! You have a mind of your own. I can't…" Nick stopped, running a hand through his hair. "I can't believe this. Mally, I am so disappointed." He shook his head, and Mally felt about two inches tall. It was so embarrassing to have a parent find out that you'd been touching a boy at the age of eleven. But Nick was going to find just exactly what she touched when they got home, but he didn't want to embarrass her in front of the principal. They'd just had "the talk" not two months ago, so Nick was surprised she'd done this.

"The boy was eleven too and also a sixth grader. His parents are being called in, and I'm afraid disciplinary action will need to be taken here at school."

"What are we talking?" He sat back up and talked to the principal again.

"A mandatory two day in school suspension, and sessions with our school counselor."

"I think that's a great idea with the counseling. I want to know what went through her head to make this okay. She's gonna spell it out for me. But is two days suspension enough?"

"Dad!" Mally gaped at her father incredulously. He was trying to make it worse? When she saw the look he gave her, though, her mouth closed quickly and her expression returned to ashamed.

"Hey, that's nothing compared to the kind of trouble you're in at home." Nick told her, and he could practically see his daughter cringe and curl up, though she tried to stay like steel.

"Well, that's our mandatory action, but we can arrange more if you feel it's appropriate."

"I do." Nick said immediately. "I want her away from whoever this was."

Mally was so confused at her father's behavior. Normally, when she acted up he was very reasonable and calm, but today he seemed sincerely upset and unforgiving. He was always fair, but Mally was afraid of just what he was thinking. She wanted with all her heart that moment to get dismissed back to class, but knew she'd be going home with her dad. Mally imagined what he'd say and how he'd act. He'd make her look him in the eye and tell him exactly what she did and why.

"We'll be in communication then." The principal said, standing up again, and walked towards the door. "You're welcome to take her home now, and her in school suspension will begin tomorrow."

"Thank you, sir." Nick shook his hand again and turned back to Mally, who was standing as slowly as possible. "Come on, let's go." Nick waited for her to walk slowly to the door and followed her out. He soon overtook her, his daughter nervously following him out to the truck.

Mally buckled up as her dad started his truck and turned off the country music station that had been on. He didn't say a word the entire ride, and Mally didn't dare bring anything up. The silence between them was deafening as Mally stared at the window, wishing she was in any of the other cars they passed, or any of the other houses or buildings.

When they reached the house, Nick wordlessly shut off the truck and got out, walking inside. Mally gathered up her backpack and very timidly walked inside, about ready to cry even though he hadn't said anything. He tossed his keys on the counter and rubbed his head in thought and confusion, one hand on his hip. Once Mally was inside, he started on her.

"Sit down on the couch." He ordered her. Nick went to the bathroom for a minute to clear his head and calm down, though he tried to do most of that in the car. He splashed water on his face and stared at himself in the mirror. Where had he gone wrong? When had Mally lost all respect for herself to pull something this low? He was still very angry and disappointed, but wanted to make sure he got to the bottom of why she would even do this.

When he returned to the living room, Mally was sitting politely on the couch, her ankles crossed and her hands tucked neatly between her thighs. He was surprised that she looked up at him when he returned. Nick crossed his arms as he began.

"You can imagine how surprised I was to get called into school, Mally." He started, reminding her of how serious he perceived this. Mally immediately squirmed and looked down at her hands. This was the biggest trouble she'd ever been in, and she didn't like it one bit.

"Did we not talk just a couple months ago about this sort of thing? About how you were going to come to me if you had questions? You were so grown-up and mature about it. I was so impressed the way you handled yourself and the way you spoke. I thought I had nothing to worry about. And here we are. You were caught making out with a boy and touching each other, whatever that means, which, believe me, I'm going to find out. Do you have anything to say for yourself?" He glared down at his daughter, challenging her to make even one excuse. She knew better than to make excuses.

"I'm sorry." She whispered quietly, as two tears shed from her eyes.

"Good. Because you are in so much trouble, young lady." Mally started crying more at the realization, and she wiped at her eyes. "First, you're going to explain to me exactly what you did, and then we're going to talk about what the hell went through your mind to make this okay. Sound fair?"

Mally knew it was very fair, but that didn't mean she wanted it to happen. She hated that he had her explain why she did things. It made her think, and she knew that was the goal, but thinking about it was so painful!

"So, you were dared by some girls to meet him in the bathroom at ten. What happened when you got there?"

Mally was trying to compose herself, choking on her tears. Nick started to pace in front of the couch, waiting for her to continue. He could see she was really having trouble, but that didn't mean he'd go easy on her.

"Spit it out, Mally. You made the decision to do it, so now you have to face the consequences."

Mally took a few more moments before beginning.

"We just kind of joked about the dare and we talked a little bit, and then…he kissed me. And then I started kissing him back."

Nick had been nodding his head as he took in the information, the way he did when he was hearing something he didn't like or was very skeptical.

"Is this the first time you've kissed a boy?" He waited and she didn't say anything. "Hmmm?" He leaned his ear towards her.

"No."

"How old?"

"Dad, you're so embarrassing!"

"How old, Mal?"

"Ten."

Nick nodded again and wiped at his mouth. She was his little girl, and he didn't want to acknowledge the fact she was growing up and had already kissed a boy by the time she hit fifth grade. He didn't want her to end up like one of the teenage low-lives who had no respect for her body. Was this normal? Was he overreacting?

"Ten years old." He repeated. "And what did you do today?"

Mally shifted uncomfortably. "Dad!"

"I don't wanna hear your complaining, Mal. You are eleven years old. If you can't show respect for your body, then I'll see to it you do. What was it?"

"We were kissing…" She blabbered out.

"I know that. What else?" He said quickly. Mally closed her eyes, tears still falling.

"I touched him and he touched me."

"Where?"

"Where do you think, dad?"

"I don't know. You were there. You explain it to me. And use big words like you did before." He chastised her. Mally hated her dad at that moment for making her feel so awful and uncomfortable, and Nick could tell. But he was going to make this as painful as possible to get through to her.

Mally had about broken down by now, so Nick thought he'd made his point.

"You're not mature enough to explain it, so obviously you're not mature enough to do it. What does that tell you about your decision?"

"That it wasn't a good one."

"I'm glad you realize that. Now what went through your mind to make it okay? To disrespect your body like that?"

"I don't know."

"Well, you're gonna think about it and explain it to me, because I need to know. What have I been doing wrong that my only daughter would just throw herself at a boy like that and show no self-respect? Do you not feel loved enough? Because you're my world, Mally." Nick was ranting intensely, Mally still sniffling and trying to control herself.

"No, dad!" She cried. "I don't know! I really don't know!" Mally put her face in her hands and sobbed, truly not understanding why she'd done it. Perhaps it was the thrill; the changes in her body; her new interest in the opposite sex; the fact she was kept on a tight leash and never did anything wrong.

Nick could see she was really getting upset and perhaps she could see where he was coming from. He knew she regret what she did already, but now he needed to lift her back up to find out why she really did this. Nick quietly walked to the couch and sat down next to his crying daughter.

Mally was surprised that after being yelled at the worst she ever had, her dad was now next to her, gently rubbing her back in comfort. The gentle, caring dad she had always adored seemed to be with her now, as he waited for her to calm down again. Nick didn't say a word as he lovingly got her to stop crying. When she was calm, he started talking softly again.

"Mally, I can see that you're disappointed in yourself for what you did. It's not just because you got caught. But my job as your dad is to make sure you grow up to be a confident, strong-willed, self-respecting young woman, and today made me really question if I'm doing a good job."

"You are doing a good job, daddy, I just messed up." She mutter-sobbed. Nick gently tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her temple.

"Yes, you did mess up." He clarified, eyebrows raised. "Do you know why you did it? Was it just a cheap thrill, or do you really not respect yourself?"

"Dad, you don't understand what it's like at school." Mally started to sob. "People do stuff like that at school a lot. Kids get dared all the time. I couldn't get out of it. Everyone would have made fun of me, and I would have been a total loser!"

"Do you feel like a winner now? Did this buy you points with your peers? I can tell you who it didn't earn points with. Your friends – what will they think of you? And what about me? What do you think I'm feeling?"

"Pretty mad."

"Yeah, I'm mad. And disappointed."

"Are you ashamed of me?" Mally cried. Nick brought her into a hug and gave her several kisses on her head.

"I could never be ashamed of you, Mally. Never. Sometimes we all make bad decisions, and that's what you did. But I know you'll learn from this and never do it again, right?"

"Never?"

"Well, not until you're much much older, and actually ready. And not in school." He smiled.

"I didn't really like it anyway. It was weird." Mally admitted. She didn't quite smile, but thinking about it was a bit amusing. Nick kissed her head again.

"But I will still have to ground you. Three weeks, young lady, and definitely no phone or Instant Messaging. And I'll be finding out more about this Alan guy, and talking to his parents."

"Okay, dad." Mally whispered. "Sorry."

"Good. Do you wanna go do something, just you and me?" Nick asked her, standing up, and taking her with him. He also suspected she perhaps did this because she wasn't getting enough time with him and maybe even wanted a little attention. Nick had been working a lot lately, and she'd been left alone a lot, or stayed with the Grissoms. He always felt guilty about it, but his job was very demanding. But it wasn't as important as the eleven year old girl smiling up at him that moment.

"Yeah. I'd like that." Mally beamed, taking her dad's hand. "Can we just go for a walk?"

"Sure."

The two Stokeses walked out the front door hand in hand, both feeling a little better now. Mally still loved spending time with her dad when she got the chance. She adored him and he adored her back. Another bump in the road, but they were okay again. Things would always be okay.


	18. Unmotherly

A/N: Thanks for reviews you rock! Please please please help me break 100 reviews! I'm dying to break 100! There will be probably one more chapter after this. Thanks to all my faithful readers.

He cursed under his breath as he walked up to the unwelcoming and definitely not child-friendly digs of his ex-girlfriend. The music was up loud, and it definitely wasn't Disney. The sounds of Wu Tang Clan eminated from within, and he could just faintly make out the cries of his baby girl. His heart broke and he rushed inside to find her.

When he walked in, Carolyn was sitting on the floor of the living room on the phone, wrapping her feet in preparation for her ballet practice later that night. It was Sunday – the day Nick was supposed to pick his six month old daughter up to stay at his house for the week. He always came as early as possible – usually 5:00 right on the dot, the earliest time he could pick her up.

Nick gave Carolyn a death glare, and she gave him one back, communicating his disgust with her – not just for her poor mothering skills, but with the heartless way she lived her life. She used people; threw them out like garbage, and Nick couldn't stand she was trying to do that very thing with her own daughter. He could tell she was frustrated, on the brink of losing it. She always was by the time Sunday rolled around. Carolyn had virtually no knowledge about how to care for a child, and zero empathy. This wasn't the first time Nick had arrived to Mally bawling her eyes out, and Carolyn ignoring her, in her own little world. Nick angrily turned off the stereo in the living room and made his way through the dirty hallway, strewn with dirty clothes, a bottle, and spit up towels he'd brought over since Carolyn didn't bother to buy any.

Mally's cries were now able to be heard fully, and they were gut-wrenching. He opened the door to her room – well, the room she slept in. It was also used to store all her stray stuff and old boxes. It looked nothing like a nursery. He walked over to the old crib she'd managed to rummage up and immediately took the crying baby into his arms.

Mally had no cognitive memory, but she instantly associated her father's face with kindness, care, and safety. Her cries immediately started to die down now she was safe in her daddy's arms. The little girl just seemed to know who she could trust in this world at the tender age of six months. Nick could smell what she'd been crying about. He looked around and saw empty feeding bottles on the floor. Carolyn refused to breast feed her after about the first week, because it was too uncomfortable and ballerinas couldn't be lactating. The bottles looked like they hadn't been used in several hours.

Nick dropped a kiss to his daughter's head and laid her down on the floor. He found the diaper bag he'd brought over and set down a clean towel on the floor, transferring Mally to it. Nick talked to her quietly and reassuringly as he carefully changed her diaper. Once he had her all cleaned up, Nick put on a fresh diaper and a new outfit. He'd have to give her a bath later, because he knew Carolyn hadn't. Then he picked the infant back up and cradled her head. She was still whimpering a bit, and he knew she was hungry. Mally sucked on her fingers as she held on to her father as he went to the kitchen. There were no more clean spit rags, so Mally was drooling a little bit on Nick's fleece pullover, but he didn't mind.

Carolyn was laughing, carrying on with whoever was on the phone, completely oblivious to the situation, or maybe she just didn't care. Nick sighed as he went to the fridge and retrieved the milk and found a clean-enough saucepan to warm it all up in. Nick expertly boiled the water, poured the milk in the bottle, and heated it to just the right temperature, checking on the back of his wrist. When he was satisfied, he turned off the heat and took the bottle and his daughter into the living room, where Carolyn was finishing her call.

"So, I'll see you tonight. Love you too, bye." She hung up and didn't even acknowledge the other two people in the room.

Nick positioned Mally on his lap and in his arms, cradling her head in the nook of his elbow. The hungry baby latched onto the bottle immediately and began sucking feverishly. Nick watched her feed for a minute or so, and her tears finally stopped.

"Was that your new boyfriend?" He finally asked, keeping his eyes on his daughter, but shooting her an unamused glance in her direction.

"That's none of your business. I can associate myself with whoever I please."

Carolyn was raising her voice, so Nick spoke calmly so not to upset his daughter.

"So this innocent, oblivious little life, otherwise known as your daughter doesn't matter? Is this the kind of person I'd want around my daughter?" Nick already knew the answer to that.

"Don't get all high and mighty on me, Nick. She's at your place most of the time." She glared at him as she got up and went to the kitchen.

"Thank God for that."

Carolyn broke stride and turned around to shoot him a death glare.

"Fuck you."

Nick bit his tongue and chose to concentrate on his beautiful, precious daughter, who was already halfway through her bottle. She was so hungry it broke his heart. She probably hadn't been fed since the morning.

"Will you heat up another bottle while you're in there? She's pretty hungry."

Carolyn let out an annoyed sigh, like it was the most troublesome thing ever to heat up a bottle for her daughter. She was so unfit to be a mother, it made Nick sick. Carolyn seemed to have absolutely no empathy for anyone except herself. She noisily started getting the bottle ready, and Mally finished hers in the other room.

Nick pulled the bottle away and set it on the floor, wiping at her mouth with his fleece jacket carefully. The little girl started to squirm and whine a little, because she was still hungry. Nick placed his large hand over her stomach and rubbed gently, trying to calm her. Mally calmed a little bit, and then took hold of his pointer finger with her tiny fist and jiggled it around a little bit. Nick smiled down at her and made silly faces at his daughter, causing her to smile and laugh in delight.

"You are so beautiful, you know that, baby girl?" Carolyn heard Nick coo at their daughter as she brought a second bottle out. Truthfully, she was thankful and over the moon that Nick was Mally's father. She knew she was shit for a mother, so Carolyn was glad there was someone competent and loving to care for her daughter. In her heart, Carolyn knew she couldn't do it, and that Mally belonged with Nick. She'd be way better off with Nick. But that didn't mean she had to be nice and lovey-dovey about it. She didn't rely on men, and would rather die before relying on Nick for help. That's why it pissed her off when he came in like the knight in shining armor, saving Mally every Sunday. She didn't know how he put up with her screaming and constant need for everything. Babies couldn't do anything for themselves, and Carolyn wasn't used to actually caring for other people, especially children. She was always relieved to see her daughter go, but she definitely wouldn't let Nick have her just because he wanted her. Truthfully, she was jealous – jealous of Nick's love for Mally. Why couldn't anyone look at her like that?

Nick sensed Carolyn back in the room, and held his hand up, waiting for her to pass over the bottle. She slapped it into his hand and he took it wordlessly, lining the nipple up with Mally's mouth. The little baby sucked vigorously once again, starved for food. Both parents just watched her feed for a minute or so.

"How much longer are we going to keep doing this?" Nick finally broke the silence, looking up at Carolyn.

"Doing what?"

"Don't play stupid with me. You know very well what."

Carolyn sighed and sat down next to Nick, looking down at the baby she was so jealous of. She reached out and stroked her daughter's head in a rare display of affection and love. Mally squirmed and cried, and Carolyn snapped her hand back, clutching it to her chest. She glared at that baby with such jealousy and hate.

"She's just upset at not being fed or changed, or held." Nick informed her, knowing his baby very well. She loved to be held in his arms, and especially to lay on his chest and nap. Mally was already turning out to be a daddy's girl – what else would she be?

"I still want to see her. Every weekend." Carolyn demanded. Nick was furious, and took in a deep breath through his nose. Why did she do this?

"Why, Carolyn?" He shook his head and stared her down as Mally continued to feed soundly. "Why are you being so selfish? You don't do anything with her. You don't feed her, change her, bathe her, play with her, or show any sort of motherly instincts. Why do you want her over? You know I'm doing a much better job, and she's in more than competent hands."

"I don't want to argue today, Nick." She put her head in her hands and rubbed her temples. "Don't question me. She's my daughter. I want to see her."

"Then start acting like a mother." Nick shot back as he stood up. Mally would have to finish her bottle later, because he couldn't stand to be here any longer and listen to her crap. "I'll contact the court if you don't get this place cleaned up, and get your act together. This is definitely not fit for a child." Nick motioned to all the dirty dishes, clothes, and assorted other messes around the living room, further proving his point. "Grow up."

Nick slung the diaper bag over his shoulder and carefully retrieved Mally's bottle from her mouth. The little girl didn't protest as Nick repositioned her head up, and began to rub and pat her back. He got out of there as quickly as he could and pulled over to the nearest park he could find once he got out of this god-awful side of town. Nick retrieved Mally from the back seat and got out her bottle again. He found a nearby picnic bench, and talked to her softly as he cradled her in his arms once again and let her take the nipple. Mally happily fed from her bottle once more, finally getting to drink her fill.

When she was done, Nick set down the bottle once more and held her so Mally's head rested near his shoulder, placing a few extra napkins there. He stroked and patted her back again until she burped. Nick cleaned her with all the care in the world, and just continued to hold her. He felt his baby girl fall asleep, now that she had been changed and fed. Nick decided he needed to get her home and into her own, cozy crib, for a nice, long nap. She probably hadn't slept that well since Friday, when she was with him last. He carefully placed her back in her carseat, delighting at her sleeping, innocent face. Nick smiled as he gently closed the door and got into the driver's seat. He drove off, ready to face the rest of the day; and to try to prepare the sleeping precious girl in the back seat for the unforgiving world that had already jaded her so badly just as a mere baby.


	19. Froggies!

A/N: Thanks for the awesome reviews! Here's the second chap in one day! I totally stole this idea from a clip I saw on America's Funniest Home Videos. So sue me. I just had to use it. I know I keep saying this, but there will be one or two more chaps of this left. : )Please review!

"What have you been doing, Mally?" Nick asked in an amused tone, camcorder up to his eye, as he recorded his four year old daughter standing on the back porch. She was dressed in her two-piece bathing suit that she loved so much. The Stokeses lived near a lake, which Mally had been out playing around with some of the other neighborhood kids. Mally had run back to show her daddy a frog she'd managed to catch.

"We caughted a bunch of frogs, daddy, lookit!" Her eyes shone proudly as she held up the terrified little frog to the camera, eyes bulging. Mally had a huge grin on her face, and Nick smiled back, keeping one eye closed.

"Don't squeeze 'em too hard, Mal." Nick told her as he pulled the camera away from his face. He held it at shoulder level now and checked the angle occasionally to make sure he was getting his precious daughter. The little girl was fascinated by living things just like any other little child, but she wasn't squeamish like most little girls. She loved to hold bugs, spiders, and her new fetish was frogs.

"That's good." He praised her when she loosened her grip a little. The little guy tried to jump out, but Mally skillfully caught him once again. "Where'd you find him?"

"At the lake." She told him, keeping her eyes on the little frog. Nick had been noticing she was standing kinda funny, like she had ants in her pants. She kept squirming and grabbing at her butt and crotch. Then he saw something move.

"Mally, what's in your bathing suit?" Nick looked at her without the camera lens, eying her curiously. Mally gazed up at him with that look reserved only for mischievous little girls.

"A froggy!" She told him.

"You have a frog in your drawers?" He repeated, putting on a disgusted face, he was sure.

"Uh-huh." She nodded. "Bye, bye, froggy." Mally told the little frog as she put him down on the floor. Nick would make sure they all got back to water later the best he could, but for now he was enthralled and entertained. He watched in awe as Mally reached behind her, groping around her butt in her bathing suit. After a few awkward moments, she retrieved another frog.

"Another froggy!" She exclaimed as she held it up again proudly to her father. Nick couldn't help but laugh out loud. He couldn't believe she'd put a frog in her bathing suit. The little girl definitely was not squeamish. Nick tried to picture what having an amphibian in his drawers would feel like, and quickly pushed the thought away. She was only four, and discovering the world still.

"Mally! Why'd you put a frog in there?"

"I wanted to keep him an' show you!" She explained, which sounded perfectly logical in her mind. Mally just wanted to make her daddy proud.

Nick thought he'd seen it all, but Mally took the second frog in one hand and reached down the front this time, and found yet another frog.

"Three froggies!" She announced, laughing a little.

Nick was in disbelief that she fit yet another in there.

"Mally Elyse Stokes, what am I gonna do with you?" Nick shook his head. "Do you have any more in there?" He asked, thinking that was all she could fit.

"Yep." She said like it was nothing. Mally carefully put the two frogs down and reached again behind her, pulling out another and setting it down. Nick couldn't say anything, but 'oh my God' or 'Mally!' for the next few minutes, as she pulled out frog after frog, groping around time and time again in her bathing suit bottom. All in all, Nick counted nine frogs. They were little frogs, but there were nine nonetheless.

"How did you fit nine frogs in your bathing suit?" He inquired when she was finally done.

"I wanted to show you all of them." She explained, like it was the most logical thing ever. Mally hadn't been counting, just kept piling them in there. It had been a little uncomfortable, but the look on her daddy's face was worth it when he found out what a good frog catcher she was.

"Well, thank you. I'm very proud. Now I know you can fit nine frogs in your drawers."

Mally giggled as she chased them all off the porch. Nick recorded her playing for a few more minutes, delighting in how happy she seemed. At times like this, Nick knew he must be doing something right. She was delightful, and truly a gift to him. He didn't know how he ever lived without her, or how he ever could again.

"Alright, Mal." He said as the sun was finally going down. "Let's get you inside for a bath. We need to get that froggy slime off your booty."

Nick turned off the camera and took Mally by the hand, leading her to the back door. But suddenly he had a thought. He needed to make sure there were no more frogs in there. Nick didn't want any hoppers in his house peeking out at inopportune times.

"Hold on." He said as they reached the door, and he knelt down next to her. "Let's take off your bottoms before you go inside in case you forgot about one."

"Okay, but don't look at my booty!" She told him in a stern tone.

"Darlin', I changed your diapers. It's nothing I haven't seen."

Mally put her hand on Nick's shoulder and began to peel off her bottoms. Sure enough, one more little frog hopped out.

"Ten!"

"Yes, baby, that's number ten. Good thing we found him before he got caught in the laundry." Nick joked, causing Mally to cackle her four year old laugh that soothed his soul every time.

Once the suit was off, Mally ran inside, covering up her little tush as she ran for the bathroom. Nick laughed and followed her in, picking up the dirty suit as he went. Mally used the bathroom as Nick drew her bath, putting in bubbles just as she liked. When he determined the temperature was perfect and the water was about half full, Mally walked over to him and he picked her up by the armpits, gently setting her down inside.

"Make sure you wash good down there." Nick told her, dropping a kiss to the top of her head and roughing her head around a little.

"I will." She told him, taking hold of one of her bath toys. Mally loved her baths, and Nick would just let her play for about 20 minutes until she started to turn pruny, and then help her wash her hair. Nick started a load of laundry as Mally sang and talked to her toys, acting things out in the tub. As he listened to her, it made him fall in love with her all over again. Daddies love their daughters.

As Nick was tucking her in that night, she surprised him once again by her thoughtfulness. Mally had so much concern with the world at such a tender age. He couldn't wait to see what she'd do when she got older.

"Daddy, were the froggies I caughted babies?"

"I don't think so, sweetheart." Nick told her, sitting on the edge of her bed, stroking her delicate curls.

"But they were small like babies."

"Well, there are some very small frogs. You see, all frogs are adults. Baby frogs are actually tadpoles."

"Tadpoles?"

"Yep. The mommy frogs lay eggs in the lake and then they become tadpoles."

Mally looked deep in thought, studying her dad's face curiously, taking in all this new information, and forming conclusions in her head.

"So did I take away a tadpole's mommy or daddy?" Her eyes welled up in tears.

"No, sweetheart." Nick kissed her forehead in reassurance because she was looking really worried. "You see, baby tadpoles don't need their mommies and daddies like humans need them. They can take care of themselves right away."

"They leave their babies?" Mally was shocked. Her tiny eyebrows crossed in concern at her naïve perception of the world so far.

"Yes, but the tadpoles are fine."

"Did my mommy axdenally think I was a tadpole?"

Nick's heart broke and he had to try hard not to cry at her logic. She should not have to worry about this sort of thing. It worried him to think about what went through her little mind sometimes. Mally would spend the rest of her childhood trying to figure out why her mommy left her.

"Sweetheart, remember what we talked about before?" Nick asked her gently, moving to kneel on the floor. He wrapped his arm around her tiny body and gave her another kiss. "That your mommy just wasn't ready to be a mommy when she had you."

"Why?"

"Well, it's complicated."

"You always say that, daddy." Mally informed him. Nick sighed, not thinking she could handle knowing about her mother just yet. Not at the age of four.

"Well, adult problems are a lot harder to figure out than kid problems." Mally seemed dissatisfied with the answer and Nick tried to think of something else.

"You know, there are some animals where the daddy takes care of the babies most of the time."

"Really?"

"Yep. There's a type of bird called the phalarope that takes care of the babies almost all the time. And a type of penguin does too."

Mally studied her father again, processing what he was telling her. He sure did know a lot. He knew more than any other daddy she knew. Well, Uncle Gil knew way too much about bugs. Whenever she went to their house, he would always try to educate her about bugs and show her his collection. Uncle Gil was creepy.

"So remember, daddies love their babies very much too. Some kids just have a daddy, like you, and some just have a mommy."

"Just a mommy?" Mally asked, like it was a psychotic, lunatic idea. Thinking of her own mother, that would really suck for kids.

"Well, Lindsey only had a mommy for a while until Uncle Gil married her." He reasoned with her, and he could see things were clicking in her head a little bit. Nick looked at the clock, and could see it was getting late.

"It is way past your bedtime, Mally bug. You need to get to sleep." Nick stood up and readjusted her covers, and Mally snuggled in tighter, and then held up her arms to be hugged. He smiled and leaned down one more time, kissing her once on the lips, and then on both cheeks, his signature daddy kiss.

"Good night, baby. I love you."

"I love you too. Just make sure you don't turn into a frog!"

Nick promised he wouldn't and shut off the light and closed the door. When he was feeling a little overwhelmed by things, like all the emotions he had just been through, Nick always called the one person who understood what it was like to be a single parent.

"Catherine, hey. It's Nick. You'll never guess what Mally did this time."


	20. The Wedding

A/N: So here it is! The final chapter of Single Daddy. This is the wedding one, thus ending Nick's single daddiness. I really loved writing this fic, and I thank all my faithful readers and reviewers. I will dub this "Complete", but one day I may get crazy and add another chapter for shits and giggles. I'll try to finish some of my other series now, but I will also be making a continuation of this story, about little snippets for their lives with the twins in the picture. Look for this soon…or later. We'll see. Thanks for reading! Please review. : )

Nick and Mally sat on the couch together watching a movie Friday night, how they oftentimes ended up, especially when Mally was nervous about something. Nick sat by the armrest with one hand perched at the side of his face, while the other was draped around his beloved fifteen year old daughter. Mally lay on her back, her head perched on her father's right leg, as she looked on to the television. This was their last night together as just dad and daughter (Sara and the twins were at the Grissoms' for the night). Tomorrow, her father would tie the knot with his girlfriend Sara.

The scene was comfortably familiar, but Mally's stomach felt strange. It was just her and dad, snuggled up like they had done a thousand times before, but this time was different. By this time tomorrow, he wouldn't just be hers anymore. His heart would belong to Sara. Mally knew she would always be his daughter; she was the first, and as he told her time and time again – she is his world. But it wouldn't be the same. It would never be the same.

Nick could sense that Mally's mood was a little more solemn and confused than usual. Granted, she was a teen and she was often confused, but he knew his daughter like the back of his hand. He knew she must be nervous about tomorrow. Not nervous that she was the maid of honor, but nervous about the changes in her life. She would have to share him, and he knew that scared the daylights out of her. Mally had always had Nick to herself, and though it had been wonderful, he knew that being the center of his attention always wasn't the best thing for her. She wasn't spoiled by any means, but she was the apple of his eye, and she knew it.

"What are you thinking about, baby?" Nick whispered, glancing down at his teen.

Mally snapped out of her trance. She'd been lost in thought, but yet she couldn't quite be sure what she'd been thinking about. How could she explain it to him? She was so scared! Though Sara had been living with them for almost two years, now she would officially be Mally's stepmother. She'd been slowly getting used to sharing the spotlight with her twin siblings. Mally was constantly questioning her place in this family. She was the leftover meatloaf from Nick's past, and now he had a beautiful wife (well, tomorrow technically) and two gorgeous babies. Mally loved Sara and the twins, but sometimes she was a little jealous and defensive. She was here first, but her role kept being shifted around. Sometimes it felt good, and sometimes it felt bad.

"Nothing." Mally told him after pondering for a few moments. Nick dropped his other hand to the armrest.

"Mal…" He called her on it.

"What?" She moaned defensively.

"Normally, you talk my ear off, and you're being so quiet. Is something bothering you?"

There was still no answer, but Nick knew he'd struck a chord. Sometimes, when something was too emotional or fresh, Mally would just stay silent. He'd have to pry, but that was okay. They had all night, and Nick could get just about anything out of his daughter if he asked right.

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" Nick probed, gently stroking her dark brown hair.

"A little bit." Mally admitted after a bit of a pause. She started eyeing and playing with the hem of her sweatshirt nervously.

"You're going to be wonderful." Nick started, knowing this wasn't what she was nervous about, but perhaps it would open up the conversation. "You'll look so beautiful in your dress, with your hair done up, and entirely too much make up, right?" He teased her. Mally didn't really enjoy getting dolled up. She would much rather prefer her sweats, and being outside getting dirty playing softball.

"I guess." She smiled a little, but then her face went solemn again.

"You guess? Mal, what's bothering you?" He thought he already knew the answer, but their conversations at difficult points like this is what made them so close.

"I guess…" She struggled a little, "I guess I'm just nervous about being a step-child. Don't all parents hate step-children?" Mally moved her head a little so she finally looked up at his face, seeing the comforting concern laced all over it.

"Sweetheart, you don't have to put a title on everything. Sara and I will be officially married tomorrow, but she's been living here for almost two years. Nothing's gonna change – just her last name, and we'll have rings on our fingers."

"I know I'm just being dumb." She muttered, half wanting him to hear it, and half not wanting him to. All uncertainty of whether it had reached his ears or not was erased when his hands went to her shoulders, and he forced her to sit up and face him.

"Nothing you could ever think is dumb, Mally Elyse." Nick told her, looking her straight in the eye. Mally shed a single tear and wiped it away quickly. She loved that her dad didn't let her get away with little things like that. That's why she didn't want to share him with anyone else. "Whatever you feel is okay. You can't just block out feelings, Mal, because if they're real in your mind, then they're real in mine too. Do you understand?" He asked gently.

Mally nodded in agreement, but still just wanted to freeze this night forever. Sure, what her dad said was true, but it was the changes that were already happening – that had been happening for years – that caused her uneasiness. Sitting here alone with her father like they'd done forever – before Sara and the twins – was what she missed. This was their last night living alone together. It would never be like this again. Sara, Bailey, and Aidan may all be gone at once every once in a while, but they'd still belong here.

The movie was close to being finished, and though Mally was a little old, she pulled her favorite trick in the book. She pretended to fall asleep, breathing in and out shallowly, still perched on her father's lap. Mally could feel him watching her for several prolonged moments, and when the credits came on he turned the TV off. Sighing quietly, Nick gently lifted her head off his leg and got up. As carefully as he could, Nick picked Mally up in his arms and carried her up the stairs to her room. Mally knew she was being childish, but there was something that always made her feel so safe in his arms. She was too old to ask to be carried, so she sometimes resorted to faking being asleep so she could get her little fix.

She felt her father set her gently in her bed, and then pull up the covers. Lastly, he gave her a tender kiss on her forehead and then turned the lights out. Mally opened her eyes after he'd left to her darkened, lonely room, and shed a single tear.

SNICKERS ROCKS SNICKERS ROCKS SNICKERS ROCKS

The day of the wedding, both Nick and Mally woke up by themselves, without the alarm clock. It was the big day – how could anyone sleep? Mally was happy about her father marrying Sara, but she was still uneasy about it. Sara was going to officially be her stepmother. Who knew if there wasn't some magical trance that would suddenly overcome her that would cause Sara to suddenly hate Mally?

Mally pulled her hair up into a messy bun and threw her sweatshirt back on over her sleep boxers and tank top, heading down the stairs. Nick was already down there getting out the bowls like he always did. She took her normal spot at the breakfast bar as he prepared the cereal, though neither was really hungry.

"Good morning, daddy."

"Morning, sweetheart." He smiled, but Mally could tell he was nervous. It was his wedding day; he was entitled to feel this way. Mally actually thought it was kind of cute and funny in a way. Sara adored her father, so why should he be nervous?

Their conversation at breakfast was light and seemed normal enough, but any outsider could tell they were both nervous. Afterwards, they both took their showers, and Nick dropped Mally off at the hairdresser's. From there, Sara would pick her up and they would go do their bride and bridesmaid thing.

When she'd finished her breakfast, Mally went back upstairs to her bedroom to take her shower. She undressed ceremoniously, neatly throwing her clothes into the hamper, and pulled on her bathrobe that she kept hanging on her bedroom door. Mally studied herself in the mirror for a few moments. She looked like she did every other day, but this day was different. Way different. After eyeing a few minor blemishes, her gaze shifted to the top of her bureau drawers, where she kept many of her most treasured things. Her first pair of ballet slippers hung proudly and forgotten on the wall behind it, and covering the top of the chest were picture framers. Mally smiled as she took the time today to study each of them. The first was of Nick and Mally after her first dance recital. She was dressed in a hideous pink costume with a huge grin on her face. Her daddy was crouched down next to her, his hands on her sides as he looked proudly on to the camera.

The second picture must have been taken when Mally was about nine. It was at her grandparents' ranch. Mally was riding piggy back on Nick as they came back from a riding outing. Nick was laughing as Mally held her hands out to the sides like she was some kid at the fair. Mally remembered that day – when she had broken down about how much she hated school. When they returned, Mally was moved to another classroom, thanks to Nick.

The third was a simple picture taken during a recent trip to the beach. The twins were too young to go, really, so it had just been Nick and Mally. It was taken at sunset by an older couple they'd come across. They were both dressed in jeans, barefoot, with white shirts on, as the sea breeze blew their hair around. Nick's arms were wrapped around his daughter, his cheek resting on her head. Mally's hands were holding his arms and she could tell she felt so loved in that moment, like she did every moment she was with him. The look on her father's face clearly showed his complete love and adoration for his daughter. Anyone observing the way he held his daughter could tell Mally had him wrapped around her finger. Mally allowed herself a smile, and then went off to take her morning shower. Then…on with the wedding!

NICK IS A GOD NICK IS A GOD NICK IS A GOD

Hours later, Mally was beaming as she waited with the other two bridesmaids, one being Catherine, and the other one of Sara's cousins, outside the church doors. Sara, the blushing, beautiful bride was not far behind them. All of the bridesmaids were dressed in slightly different lavender dresses. Mally's had a halter top, adorned with flashy sequins that twinkled as she moved. She didn't often get dressed up, but she felt like a princess when she did. In her ears, she wore sparkling diamond earring that Sara bought as a gift. She knew her father would say it was too much, but Mally adored them.

Sara was stunning in a strapless white gown, with a sensible train. Her dress was adorned with beautiful sequined lace down to just below her bosom, and the rest flowed beautifully around her perfect body. Though Nick had been against it, both of his girls had been to the tanning bed, and had a healthy glow to their skin.

As cliché as it comes, the sounds of Pachelbel's Canon in D filled the church quietly, and the bridesmaids began their entrances. Sara's cousin Madelyn went first, and the doorman closed the door. Mally managed to catch a peek at her father, who was looking the happiest she'd ever seen him, but still a little nervous. He wore a traditional black tux, with a light lavender undercoat, his hands clasped in front of him as he watched Madelyn make her way down the aisle.

Nick's heart wouldn't stop racing. It was like he'd just played a football game and he was out of breath. Never before had he been in such glorious and nervous anticipation in his life. He hadn't seen Mally since that morning, and Sara since the previous day. As Madelyn took her place, he glanced at the front row where his parents were sitting, one of the twins in each of their arms. Aidan was asleep, and Bailey was cooing softly, reminding him of his already affirmed love for Sara and their new family together. Nick winked at Bailey, and she flailed her arms about excitedly.

Catherine came through the huge, oak doors next, looking stunningly beautiful. Gil smiled along with their two daughters as she walked gracefully down the aisle towards Nick, bouquet in hand. She winked at him as she took her spot in reassurance. Nick took a deep breath, because he knew the two most important women in his life were coming out next.

The doors finally opened slowly, and fifteen year old Mally stepped out, beaming. The sight of her all dressed up, looking like a full fledged woman about took Nick's breath away, and he wasn't ashamed that a few tears came to his eyes. Mally kept her eyes on her father as she nervously walked down the aisle, feeling everyone else's eyes on her as well. As she finally reached the front, Nick stepped forward and took her wrists gently for a moment, kissing her cheek.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart."

Mally beamed and smiled back, and though they didn't rehearse it, they instinctively fell into a loving embrace. As he pulled away, Nick gave his daughter a kiss on the forehead and there wasn't a dry pair of eyes in the whole church.

Mally settled in her spot, a one-person gap between herself and her father. All the guests in the church rose as the music crescendoed louder and the large oak doors opened one last time. Nick took an even bigger breath as a beautiful figure stepped into view. His Sara.

Breathtaking was an understatement. Nick had been dreaming of this day since the moment he met Sara. Her chestnut hair pulled elegantly up, her veil encircling her head like a makeshift halo; she looked gorgeous and blushing as she walked slowly up the aisle by herself, a choice she had made. Her father was dead, and she had been independent since grade school, and she'd already born two of Nick's children.

Her eyes deadest on Nick's, she concentrated on the love practically seething from every inch of his body. She couldn't believe this handsome, drop-dead hunky man was actually going to marry her; Sara Sidle. And what's more, she'd fallen in love with his daughter too. Nick proudly and nervously watched his approaching bride until she finally joined him at the alter, the music ending pompously.

Nick carefully lifted Sara's veil, revealing her glowing face. Her beauty was so natural, and he couldn't believe he actually got to marry her; to call her his wife. Hand in hand, Nick and Sara managed to get through their vows, laced with nervous laughter and tears. At last, they were pronounced husband and wife.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce Nick and Sara Stokes!"

The music played triumphantly as they locked lips. Nick wanted to kiss her forever, but managed to cut himself off after a few seconds, though they got a few whistles at the passion from the crowd. They heard Mally giggle a little bit, and Nick was thrilled that his daughter was so happy. With clasped, shaky hands, they had their first walk together as husband and wife.

I WISH NICK BELONGED TO ME I WISH NICK BELONGED TO ME

At the reception, the wedding party waited excitedly outside the doors to be introduced pair by pair. Mally was paired with Nick's best man, her uncle Warrick, which she couldn't be happier about. Greg and Nick's older brother finished off the groomsmen.

As a teenager, Mally was nervous about the dancing to come. When she was a little kid, everyone always thought she was so adorable when she danced. With kids, anything went, and everything was cute, but now that she was fifteen, she actually had to make sure she didn't look like a complete nerd. So, Catherine and Sara had given her private lessons. They'd caught her up to date on all the formal dances, and they played around a lot with upbeat songs. She still felt kind of nervous, but it was her parents' wedding; she'd have to dance.

When it was time for the newlyweds' first dance, no one was quite sure about what they'd pick, besides them and the dj. They took their spot in the middle of the floor, Nick's left hand at Sara's hip, and their hands clasped in a formal stance. The music started, and everyone instantly started snickering. They'd chosen, "Tonto! Jump On It!" for their first dance.

All Mally could do was sit back and laugh her ass off as she observed her parents shake it, lassoing at the chorus and doing outlandish eighties moves. Their facial expressions made it that much funnier. They would look totally serious for a while, but then they couldn't stand it, and they'd both burst out laughing at the same time. Mally couldn't help but smile and laugh, seeing her father so happy, and she couldn't be more glad at his choice. Mally hadn't given Sara a very easy start, but she felt she'd more than proven herself. Sara was a great mom, and would be a great partner for her dad.

Later on, Mally was still sitting at the table, delaying her embarrassment. She kind of wanted to dance, but her self-consciousness took over. All those people would be watching her, expecting the daughter of the bride and groom to bring the house down, or at least participate well. After all, she had taken some sort of dance lessons all her life.

Mally saw Sara whisper something into her father's ear, causing him to look in her directions. Nick cha-cha'd himself over to his daughter, causing her to roll her eyes and laugh.

"What are you doing sitting here, Mally Elyse Stokes?" Her father questioned his party pooper offspring. He kept moving as he took hold of Mally's hands, shaking them around a little like she would always do to him at home. Nick remembered from his sisters' teenage years how confusing life could be – his daughter could dance around like an idiot at home all the time, but getting her to dance in public (and not to a routine) was like pulling teeth.

"Come on and have some fun, sweetheart. You'll like it."

"Daddy, I don't wanna…" She whined, making her body deadweight as he tried to make her stand up. Her father was strong, though, and easily pulled her up, though she slumped on him immediately. Nick went with it, picking her up and dragging her to the dance floor. When he set her down on the floor, though, he could see that Mally wasn't just playing around. She was really uncomfortable. He chuckled and led her off to the corner of the floor.

"Mal, you just gotta remember, no one is judging you out here. Everyone's just here to have fun, alright? You just gotta loosen up."

Nick started moving again, in an elementary way, to get her to follow along. Mally started to move a little shyly, smiling just a little bit, and looking at the floor. Nick could see it wasn't quite working yet.

He put his hands on her shoulders to still her, and then reached his hands up to gently cup her face.

"Close your eyes, baby." Nick told her, and she obeyed. She didn't know what he had planned, but she trusted him and played along. He would never lead her the wrong way. Nick's voice dropped as he tried another approach.

"Think back to about a year ago, when you and Natalie were having a sleepover. That night when you got in huge trouble for getting busted at that party." He smiled now at the memory, though he had been pissed at the time. "Remember?"

Mally smiled and nodded her head.

"Remember when I came in to say bye? What were you and Natalie doing?"

"Dancing around like idiots to 'L.O.V.E.'." She remembered, smiling wildly. Mally pictured her best friend and her doing childish, outlandish moves to the Ashlee Simpson song, having the time of their lives.

"That's right." Nick kissed her square on the forehead, and Mally opened her eyes to him looking gently back at her. "Dance like no one's watching. You'll be fine."

Mally smiled up at her dad, and took a deep breath. Just then, Usher's, "Yeah" came on, one of Mally's favorite songs. Slowly at first, she tried to forget about everyone else in the room, and just concentrated on her dad. Months ago, she couldn't get him to even shake it a little in her bedroom to this very song, but now he was bouncing around idiotically. He was being extra ridiculous just to get Mally to laugh and join in, and she finally did.

Mally was finally enjoying herself, though she was still a little self-conscious, when Sara came over, with Aidan on her hip. The little tot giggled at the fun going on around him, sucking on his fingers as his mommy swayed to the music. Mally made a silly face at him and he giggled again. Natalie came over carrying Bailey, who looked curious about what all these adults were doing. They sure were pretty crazy, but she'd never seen anything like this. Natalie moved to the music, watching Bailey carefully to see if she like it.

After a few moments, Mally stole her little sister and danced along. The song finished, and a slow one came on at last. It was "I Hope You Dance", a favorite of many parents and children. All the dancers were happy for the breather, and the family of five Stokeses joined together closely. Mally passed her little sister to her father, now both parents with a baby in their arms. They cornily swayed back and forth like a pack of football players in a huddle in time to the music. As they sang a little bit, many tender kisses were exchanged between parents and children, children and children, and husband to wife.

Late, late at night, the reception finally ended, but there would be no immediate honeymoon for Nick and Sara. Unlike other newlyweds, they happily drove their three children back home in their minivan. The kids were exhausted, as well as their parents, as they drove back through their glitzy hometown of Las Vegas.

Bailey and Aidan were strapped safely in their carseats in the second row of the van, as Mally stretched out on the back seat. She listened to her parents whisper to each other about the wedding, and about life in general. From what she could make out, it wasn't anything big. Just commentary about the day, and how they needed to get the twins in for their checkup, and the sale at Target next week. Mally loved that their life seemed to be so, dare she say, domestic. They were actually like a real family. Her parents were concerned with regular parently things, like doctors, food, clothing, and love. Mally felt a little silly for being so opposed to their relationship before, and so worried about things would change yesterday. Well, things would change. But would they really be for the better or worse? As she closed her eyes, Mally realized it didn't matter. They were a real family, for better or for worse.

THE END!


End file.
